Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in Kenya
Kenya: Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age was 5.6% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
5.6%
Change on year
down 14.6%
World rank
29th
of 48 countries
All-time high
9.5%
in 2003
All-time low
3.7%
in 2014
Years of data
8
2003–2024
Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in Kenya, 2003–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
Kenya recorded 5.6% for out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in 2024.
That represents a change of down 14.6% on the previous year and up 53.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in Kenya peaked at 9.5% in 2003 and was at its lowest, 3.7%, in 2014.
Kenya ranks 29th of 48 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in Kenya, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 9.5% | — |
| 2008 | 4.3% | -54.7% |
| 2014 | 3.7% | -14.6% |
| 2019 | 4.8% | +32.0% |
| 2020 | 6.6% | +35.8% |
| 2021 | 4.6% | -29.3% |
| 2022 | 6.6% | +41.9% |
| 2024 | 5.6% | -14.6% |
Kenya compared with similar countries
- Kenya's 5.6% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 17.3%, 33% of the median. (19 countries reporting)
- Kenya's 5.6% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 19.2%, 29% of the median. (21 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 6.9% | 4.3% | 9.5% | 2 |
| 2010s | 4.3% | 3.7% | 4.8% | 2 |
| 2020s | 5.9% | 4.6% | 6.6% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Kenya
- 26 China 6.7% compare
- 27 El Salvador 6.6% compare
- 28 Jordan 6.0% compare
- 30 Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of 5.4% compare
- 31 Nepal 4.9% compare
- 32 South Africa 4.2% 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 out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in Kenya?
- Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in Kenya was 5.6% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age recorded in Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 9.5% in 2003.
- What is the lowest out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.7% in 2014.
- How does Kenya rank for out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age?
- Kenya ranks 29th out of 48 countries with data for 2024.
- Is out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is up 53.7%. 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 Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age, both sexes (household survey data) (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 8 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release