Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Kenya
Kenya: Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education was 99.6% in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Kenya, 1820–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026); Lee and Lee (2016) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Kenya is 99.6%, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 48 years on record.
The figure is up 46.3% on the previous year and up 18.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Kenya peaked at 99.6% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 1820.
Kenya ranks 12th of 190 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Kenya, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1820 | 0.0% | — |
| 1825 | 0.0% | +0.0% |
| 1830 | 0.0% | +0.0% |
| 1835 | 0.0% | +100.0% |
| 1840 | 0.0% | +50.0% |
| 1845 | 0.0% | +33.3% |
| 1850 | 0.1% | +25.0% |
| 1855 | 0.1% | +40.0% |
| 1860 | 0.1% | +28.6% |
| 1865 | 0.1% | +33.3% |
| 1870 | 0.2% | +33.3% |
| 1875 | 0.2% | +37.5% |
| 1880 | 0.3% | +40.9% |
| 1885 | 0.4% | +35.5% |
| 1890 | 0.6% | +33.3% |
| 1895 | 0.8% | +37.5% |
| 1900 | 1.0% | +35.1% |
| 1905 | 1.4% | +35.6% |
| 1910 | 1.9% | +35.5% |
| 1915 | 2.6% | +35.6% |
| 1920 | 3.5% | +34.7% |
| 1925 | 4.7% | +34.7% |
| 1930 | 6.3% | +33.8% |
| 1935 | 8.4% | +33.2% |
| 1940 | 11.1% | +32.1% |
| 1945 | 14.5% | +31.0% |
| 1950 | 18.8% | +29.4% |
| 1955 | 19.1% | +1.9% |
| 1960 | 26.0% | +36.1% |
| 1965 | 34.7% | +33.4% |
| 1970 | 43.4% | +25.0% |
| 1975 | 79.0% | +82.0% |
| 1980 | 84.0% | +6.3% |
| 1999 | 62.9% | -25.1% |
| 2000 | 65.7% | +4.5% |
| 2001 | 73.1% | +11.2% |
| 2002 | 67.5% | -7.7% |
| 2003 | 84.2% | +24.8% |
| 2004 | 83.3% | -1.1% |
| 2005 | 84.8% | +1.7% |
| 2006 | 84.4% | -0.5% |
| 2007 | 93.9% | +11.3% |
| 2008 | 90.2% | -4.0% |
| 2009 | 91.4% | +1.4% |
| 2012 | 84.2% | -7.9% |
| 2021 | 65.9% | -21.7% |
| 2022 | 68.1% | +3.2% |
| 2023 | 99.6% | +46.3% |
Kenya compared with similar countries
- Kenya's 99.6% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 90.6%, 1.1× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Kenya's 99.6% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 86.4%, 1.2× the median. (46 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Kenya changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1835 | +100.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1820s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 2 |
| 1830s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 2 |
| 1840s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 2 |
| 1850s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 2 |
| 1860s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 2 |
| 1870s | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 2 |
| 1880s | 0.4% | 0.3% | 0.4% | 2 |
| 1890s | 0.7% | 0.6% | 0.8% | 2 |
| 1900s | 1.2% | 1.0% | 1.4% | 2 |
| 1910s | 2.2% | 1.9% | 2.6% | 2 |
| 1920s | 4.1% | 3.5% | 4.7% | 2 |
| 1930s | 7.3% | 6.3% | 8.4% | 2 |
| 1940s | 12.8% | 11.1% | 14.5% | 2 |
| 1950s | 18.9% | 18.8% | 19.1% | 2 |
| 1960s | 30.4% | 26.0% | 34.7% | 2 |
| 1970s | 61.2% | 43.4% | 79.0% | 2 |
| 1980s | 84.0% | 84.0% | 84.0% | 1 |
| 1990s | 62.9% | 62.9% | 62.9% | 1 |
| 2000s | 81.9% | 65.7% | 93.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 84.2% | 84.2% | 84.2% | 1 |
| 2020s | 77.9% | 65.9% | 99.6% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Kenya
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 gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Kenya?
- Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Kenya was 99.6% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026); Lee and Lee (2016) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education recorded in Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 99.6% in 2023.
- What is the lowest gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 1820.
- How does Kenya rank for gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education?
- Kenya ranks 12th out of 190 countries with data for 2023.
- Is gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is up 18.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Kenya data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026); Lee and Lee (2016) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 48 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Share of girls of primary school age (typically 6–11 years) who are enrolled in primary education.