Government expenditure on education, total in Kenya
Kenya: Government expenditure on education, total was 28.5% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Government expenditure on education, total in Kenya, 1980–2025
Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % of government expenditure.
Analysis
In 2025, government expenditure on education, total in Kenya stood at 28.5%.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.2% on the previous year and up 64.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, government expenditure on education, total in Kenya peaked at 28.9% in 2005 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 1980.
That places Kenya 2nd out of 193 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 37 years of available data.
Government expenditure on education, total in Kenya, year by year
| Year | % of government expenditure | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 0.0% | — |
| 1981 | 0.0% | — |
| 1982 | 16.3% | — |
| 1983 | 17.4% | +6.5% |
| 1984 | 14.5% | -16.5% |
| 1985 | 15.6% | +7.0% |
| 1986 | 17.7% | +13.5% |
| 1988 | 19.5% | +10.2% |
| 1989 | 17.1% | -12.2% |
| 1991 | 18.6% | +9.1% |
| 1992 | 16.0% | -14.4% |
| 1993 | 13.9% | -13.1% |
| 1994 | 15.0% | +7.8% |
| 1999 | 25.3% | +69.3% |
| 2000 | 24.1% | -4.9% |
| 2001 | 23.0% | -4.6% |
| 2002 | 26.8% | +16.9% |
| 2003 | 25.9% | -3.7% |
| 2004 | 27.6% | +6.8% |
| 2005 | 28.9% | +4.9% |
| 2006 | 27.0% | -6.9% |
| 2010 | 20.4% | -24.5% |
| 2011 | 20.2% | -0.8% |
| 2012 | 19.5% | -3.5% |
| 2013 | 18.7% | -4.1% |
| 2014 | 17.8% | -4.7% |
| 2015 | 17.4% | -2.5% |
| 2016 | 17.5% | +0.8% |
| 2017 | 17.6% | +0.8% |
| 2018 | 19.0% | +7.5% |
| 2019 | 19.1% | +0.5% |
| 2020 | 17.8% | -6.8% |
| 2021 | 17.3% | -2.8% |
| 2022 | 16.1% | -6.9% |
| 2023 | 25.0% | +55.4% |
| 2024 | 27.9% | +11.7% |
| 2025 | 28.5% | +2.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 13.1% | 0.0% | 19.5% | 9 |
| 1990s | 17.7% | 13.9% | 25.3% | 5 |
| 2000s | 26.2% | 23.0% | 28.9% | 7 |
| 2010s | 18.7% | 17.4% | 20.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 22.1% | 16.1% | 28.5% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Kenya
- 1 Mauritania 31.9% compare
- 3 Turkmenistan 27.6% compare
- 4 Solomon Islands 25.2% compare
- 5 Namibia 24.6% 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 government expenditure on education, total in Kenya?
- Government expenditure on education, total in Kenya was 28.5% in 2025, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest government expenditure on education, total recorded in Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 28.9% in 2005.
- What is the lowest government expenditure on education, total recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 1980.
- How does Kenya rank for government expenditure on education, total?
- Kenya ranks 2nd out of 193 countries with data for 2025.
- Is government expenditure on education, total rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is up 64.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Kenya data come from?
- The figures come from Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of Government expenditure on education, total (% of government expenditure). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
General government expenditure on education (current, capital, and transfers) is expressed as a percentage of total general government expenditure on all sectors (including health, education, social services, etc.). It includes expenditure funded by transfers from international sources to government. General government usually refers to local, regional and central governments.