Proportion of total government spending on essential services … UIS in Kenya
Kenya: Proportion of total government spending on essential services … UIS was 28.5% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Proportion of total government spending on essential services in Kenya, 2000–2025
Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
Analysis
The most recent figure for proportion of total government spending on essential services in Kenya is 28.5%, measured in 2025.
The figure is up 2.2% on the previous year and up 64.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, proportion of total government spending on essential services in Kenya peaked at 28.9% in 2005 and was at its lowest, 16.1%, in 2022.
That places Kenya 2nd out of 197 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 23 years of available data.
Proportion of total government spending on essential services … UIS in Kenya, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 24.1% | — |
| 2001 | 23.0% | -4.6% |
| 2002 | 26.8% | +16.9% |
| 2003 | 25.9% | -3.7% |
| 2004 | 27.6% | +6.8% |
| 2005 | 28.9% | +4.9% |
| 2006 | 27.0% | -6.9% |
| 2010 | 20.4% | -24.5% |
| 2011 | 20.2% | -0.8% |
| 2012 | 19.5% | -3.5% |
| 2013 | 18.7% | -4.1% |
| 2014 | 17.8% | -4.7% |
| 2015 | 17.4% | -2.5% |
| 2016 | 17.5% | +0.8% |
| 2017 | 17.6% | +0.8% |
| 2018 | 19.0% | +7.5% |
| 2019 | 19.1% | +0.5% |
| 2020 | 17.8% | -6.8% |
| 2021 | 17.3% | -2.8% |
| 2022 | 16.1% | -6.9% |
| 2023 | 25.0% | +55.4% |
| 2024 | 27.9% | +11.7% |
| 2025 | 28.5% | +2.2% |
Kenya compared with similar countries
- Kenya's 28.5% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 14.5%, 2.0× the median. (41 countries reporting)
- Kenya's 28.5% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 14.4%, 2.0× the median. (42 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Proportion of total government spending on essential services … UIS 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | +55.4% | 16.1% | 25.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 26.2% | 23.0% | 28.9% | 7 |
| 2010s | 18.7% | 17.4% | 20.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 22.1% | 16.1% | 28.5% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Kenya
- 1 Mauritania 31.9% compare
- 3 Turkmenistan 27.6% compare
- 4 Solomon Islands 25.2% compare
- 5 Namibia 24.6% 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 proportion of total government spending on essential services in Kenya?
- Proportion of total government spending on essential services in Kenya was 28.5% in 2025, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
- What is the highest proportion of total government spending on essential services recorded in Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 28.9% in 2005.
- What is the lowest proportion of total government spending on essential services recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 16.1% in 2022.
- How does Kenya rank for proportion of total government spending on essential services?
- Kenya ranks 2nd out of 197 countries with data for 2025.
- Is proportion of total government spending on essential services rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is up 64.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Kenya data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database, published as part of Proportion of total government spending on essential services, education [UIS methodology] (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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