Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Kenya
Kenya: Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government was 18.4% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Kenya, 2000–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in IMF calculation.
Analysis
Kenya recorded 18.4% for expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in 2023.
The figure is up 25.5% on the previous year and down 11.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Kenya peaked at 29.7% in 2005 and was at its lowest, 14.3%, in 2017.
That places Kenya 21st out of 123 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 21 years of available data.
Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Kenya, year by year
| Year | IMF calculation | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 29.0% | — |
| 2001 | 26.1% | -10.1% |
| 2002 | 27.0% | +3.7% |
| 2003 | 29.4% | +8.6% |
| 2004 | 27.0% | -8.1% |
| 2005 | 29.7% | +10.0% |
| 2006 | 27.0% | -9.0% |
| 2007 | 26.5% | -1.8% |
| 2008 | 24.1% | -9.0% |
| 2009 | 23.7% | -2.0% |
| 2010 | 23.0% | -2.8% |
| 2011 | 22.8% | -0.9% |
| 2012 | 20.7% | -9.3% |
| 2013 | 20.8% | +0.6% |
| 2017 | 14.3% | -31.5% |
| 2018 | 18.6% | +30.7% |
| 2019 | 18.5% | -0.6% |
| 2020 | 17.9% | -3.2% |
| 2021 | 16.4% | -8.6% |
| 2022 | 14.7% | -10.4% |
| 2023 | 18.4% | +25.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 26.9% | 23.7% | 29.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 19.8% | 14.3% | 23.0% | 7 |
| 2020s | 16.9% | 14.7% | 18.4% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Kenya
- 18 Cape Verde 18.8% compare
- 19 South Africa 18.6% compare
- 20 Bangladesh 18.6% compare
- 22 Costa Rica 18.0% compare
- 23 Jamaica 17.7% compare
- 24 Samoa 17.1% compare
More education data for Kenya
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 168,396 (2023)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 235,728 (2016)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 1.44 million (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 1.44 million (2023)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 6.74 million (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 8.04 million (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -0.7181 % change on previous year (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1453 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Kenya?
- Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Kenya was 18.4% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest expenditure on education as a percentage of total government recorded in Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 29.7% in 2005.
- What is the lowest expenditure on education as a percentage of total government recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 14.3% in 2017.
- How does Kenya rank for expenditure on education as a percentage of total government?
- Kenya ranks 21st out of 123 countries with data for 2023.
- Is expenditure on education as a percentage of total government rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is down 11.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Kenya data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government expenditure (%) (IMF calculation). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release