Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, urban in Kenya
Kenya: Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, urban was 13.9% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
13.9%
Change on year
up 32.6%
World rank
30th
of 69 countries
All-time high
35.1%
in 2003
All-time low
9.4%
in 2021
Years of data
7
2003–2024
Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, urban in Kenya, 2003–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
Kenya recorded 13.9% for out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, urban in 2024.
The figure is up 32.6% on the previous year and down 47.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, urban in Kenya peaked at 35.1% in 2003 and was at its lowest, 9.4%, in 2021.
That places Kenya 30th out of 69 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, urban in Kenya, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 35.1% | — |
| 2008 | 26.6% | -24.2% |
| 2014 | 26.7% | +0.4% |
| 2019 | 9.5% | -64.4% |
| 2021 | 9.4% | -1.5% |
| 2022 | 10.5% | +12.2% |
| 2024 | 13.9% | +32.6% |
Kenya compared with similar countries
- Kenya's 13.9% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 32.6%, 43% of the median. (18 countries reporting)
- Kenya's 13.9% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 33.5%, 42% of the median. (21 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 30.8% | 26.6% | 35.1% | 2 |
| 2010s | 18.1% | 9.5% | 26.7% | 2 |
| 2020s | 11.3% | 9.4% | 13.9% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Kenya
- 27 South Africa 16.3% compare
- 28 Sierra Leone 16.1% compare
- 29 Nepal 15.4% compare
- 31 El Salvador 13.5% compare
- 32 China 13.3% compare
- 33 Armenia 13.1% 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, urban in Kenya?
- Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, urban in Kenya was 13.9% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, urban recorded in Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 35.1% in 2003.
- What is the lowest out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, urban recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.4% in 2021.
- How does Kenya rank for out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, urban?
- Kenya ranks 30th out of 69 countries with data for 2024.
- Is out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, urban rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is down 47.8%. 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, published as part of Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, urban, 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