Initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP in Kenya
Kenya: Initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP was 4.5% in 2018. ▼ Falling
Initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP in Kenya, 1971–2018
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
Kenya recorded 4.5% for initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp in 2018.
The figure is up 4.2% on the previous year and down 12.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp in Kenya peaked at 6.6% in 1988 and was at its lowest, 3.9%, in 2011.
That places Kenya 73rd out of 185 countries with data for 2018, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 37 years of available data.
Initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP in Kenya, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 3.9% | — |
| 1972 | 4.5% | +13.9% |
| 1973 | 4.7% | +3.9% |
| 1974 | 5.1% | +8.9% |
| 1975 | 5.6% | +10.7% |
| 1976 | 5.7% | +2.5% |
| 1977 | 5.1% | -10.6% |
| 1980 | 5.4% | +4.9% |
| 1981 | 5.9% | +9.9% |
| 1982 | 5.7% | -4.1% |
| 1983 | 5.4% | -4.2% |
| 1984 | 4.6% | -15.8% |
| 1985 | 5.2% | +13.5% |
| 1986 | 6.0% | +15.7% |
| 1988 | 6.6% | +9.8% |
| 1989 | 6.0% | -8.6% |
| 1991 | 6.6% | +8.9% |
| 1992 | 6.1% | -7.5% |
| 1993 | 6.0% | -0.8% |
| 1994 | 5.9% | -1.7% |
| 1999 | 5.3% | -10.1% |
| 2000 | 4.9% | -8.7% |
| 2001 | 4.9% | +1.6% |
| 2002 | 5.9% | +19.1% |
| 2003 | 5.3% | -10.0% |
| 2004 | 5.7% | +7.5% |
| 2005 | 6.4% | +11.7% |
| 2006 | 5.1% | -19.3% |
| 2010 | 4.4% | -14.5% |
| 2011 | 3.9% | -10.8% |
| 2012 | 4.1% | +5.5% |
| 2013 | 4.2% | +0.8% |
| 2014 | 4.0% | -3.4% |
| 2015 | 4.0% | -0.7% |
| 2016 | 4.3% | +7.8% |
| 2017 | 4.3% | -0.0% |
| 2018 | 4.5% | +4.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 4.9% | 3.9% | 5.7% | 7 |
| 1980s | 5.7% | 4.6% | 6.6% | 9 |
| 1990s | 6.0% | 5.3% | 6.6% | 5 |
| 2000s | 5.4% | 4.9% | 6.4% | 7 |
| 2010s | 4.2% | 3.9% | 4.5% | 9 |
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 initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp in Kenya?
- Initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp in Kenya was 4.5% in 2018, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp recorded in Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 6.6% in 1988.
- What is the lowest initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.9% in 2011.
- How does Kenya rank for initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp?
- Kenya ranks 73rd out of 185 countries with data for 2018.
- Is initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is down 12.5%. 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 Initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release