Population having attained at least basic education in Kenya
Kenya: Population having attained at least basic education was 93.6 in 2020. ◆ Volatile
Population having attained at least basic education in Kenya, 1870–2020
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for population having attained at least basic education in Kenya is 93.6, measured in 2020. That is the highest value across all 31 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 10.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population having attained at least basic education in Kenya peaked at 93.6 in 2020 and was at its lowest, 0.1, in 1870.
That places Kenya 70th out of 111 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Population having attained at least basic education in Kenya, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1870 | 0.1 | — |
| 1875 | 0.1 | +0.0% |
| 1880 | 0.2 | +100.0% |
| 1885 | 0.2 | +0.0% |
| 1890 | 0.3 | +50.0% |
| 1895 | 0.4 | +33.3% |
| 1900 | 0.5 | +25.0% |
| 1905 | 2.7 | +440.0% |
| 1910 | 4.6 | +70.4% |
| 1915 | 6.1 | +32.6% |
| 1920 | 12.8 | +109.8% |
| 1925 | 14.1 | +10.2% |
| 1930 | 15.5 | +9.9% |
| 1935 | 16.8 | +8.4% |
| 1940 | 18.1 | +7.7% |
| 1945 | 20.5 | +13.3% |
| 1950 | 22.5 | +9.8% |
| 1955 | 25.3 | +12.4% |
| 1960 | 29.2 | +15.4% |
| 1965 | 31.8 | +8.9% |
| 1970 | 37.3 | +17.3% |
| 1975 | 46.3 | +24.1% |
| 1980 | 56.4 | +21.8% |
| 1985 | 66 | +17.0% |
| 1990 | 73.2 | +10.9% |
| 1995 | 76.5 | +4.5% |
| 2000 | 79.2 | +3.5% |
| 2005 | 82 | +3.5% |
| 2010 | 84.8 | +3.4% |
| 2015 | 89.9 | +6.0% |
| 2020 | 93.6 | +4.1% |
Kenya compared with similar countries
- Kenya's 93.6 is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 85.2, 1.1× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Kenya's 93.6 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 78, 1.2× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Population having attained at least basic education in Kenya changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1905 | +440.0% | 0.5 | 2.7 |
| 1920 | +109.8% | 6.1 | 12.8 |
| 1880 | +100.0% | 0.1 | 0.2 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1870s | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 2 |
| 1880s | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 2 |
| 1890s | 0.35 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 2 |
| 1900s | 1.6 | 0.5 | 2.7 | 2 |
| 1910s | 5.35 | 4.6 | 6.1 | 2 |
| 1920s | 13.45 | 12.8 | 14.1 | 2 |
| 1930s | 16.15 | 15.5 | 16.8 | 2 |
| 1940s | 19.3 | 18.1 | 20.5 | 2 |
| 1950s | 23.9 | 22.5 | 25.3 | 2 |
| 1960s | 30.5 | 29.2 | 31.8 | 2 |
| 1970s | 41.8 | 37.3 | 46.3 | 2 |
| 1980s | 61.2 | 56.4 | 66 | 2 |
| 1990s | 74.85 | 73.2 | 76.5 | 2 |
| 2000s | 80.6 | 79.2 | 82 | 2 |
| 2010s | 87.35 | 84.8 | 89.9 | 2 |
| 2020s | 93.6 | 93.6 | 93.6 | 1 |
Countries ranked near Kenya
More education data for Kenya
- Gender gap education levels, gaps filled 99.57 (2023)
- Primary enrollment selected countries, gaps filled 94.27 (2023)
- 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)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population having attained at least basic education in Kenya?
- Population having attained at least basic education in Kenya was 93.6 in 2020, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest population having attained at least basic education recorded in Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 93.6 in 2020.
- What is the lowest population having attained at least basic education recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.1 in 1870.
- How does Kenya rank for population having attained at least basic education?
- Kenya ranks 70th out of 111 countries with data for 2020.
- Is population having attained at least basic education rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is up 10.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Kenya data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Population having attained at least basic education. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 31 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).