Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both in Kenya
Kenya: Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both was 14.3% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
14.3%
Change on year
up 38.0%
World rank
32nd
of 71 countries
All-time high
22.1%
in 2003
All-time low
8.8%
in 2019
Years of data
7
2003–2024
Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both in Kenya, 2003–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
Kenya recorded 14.3% for out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both in 2024.
That represents a change of up 38.0% on the previous year and down 30.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both in Kenya peaked at 22.1% in 2003 and was at its lowest, 8.8%, in 2019.
That places Kenya 32nd out of 71 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both in Kenya, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 22.1% | — |
| 2008 | 18.5% | -16.4% |
| 2014 | 20.4% | +10.7% |
| 2019 | 8.8% | -57.1% |
| 2021 | 9.0% | +2.3% |
| 2022 | 10.4% | +15.6% |
| 2024 | 14.3% | +38.0% |
Kenya compared with similar countries
- Kenya's 14.3% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 38.1%, 38% of the median. (19 countries reporting)
- Kenya's 14.3% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 43.7%, 33% of the median. (21 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 20.3% | 18.5% | 22.1% | 2 |
| 2010s | 14.6% | 8.8% | 20.4% | 2 |
| 2020s | 11.2% | 9.0% | 14.3% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Kenya
- 29 South Africa 17.1% compare
- 30 Nepal 16.1% compare
- 31 Kyrgyzstan 15.4% compare
- 33 Ecuador 14.0% compare
- 34 Armenia 13.0% compare
- 35 Dominican Republic 13.0% 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 youth of upper secondary school age, both in Kenya?
- Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both in Kenya was 14.3% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both recorded in Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 22.1% in 2003.
- What is the lowest out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 8.8% in 2019.
- How does Kenya rank for out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both?
- Kenya ranks 32nd out of 71 countries with data for 2024.
- Is out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is down 30.0%. 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 youth of upper secondary school age, both sexes (household survey data) (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 7 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release