School life expectancy, secondary, both sexes (years) (life both) in Kenya
Kenya: School life expectancy, secondary, both sexes (years) (life both) was 4.9 years in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
4.9 years
Change on year
down 0.3%
World rank
142nd
of 214 countries
All-time high
4.92 years
in 2022
All-time low
1.22 years
in 1970
Years of data
35
1970–2023
School life expectancy, secondary, both sexes in Kenya, 1970–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in years.
Analysis
Kenya recorded 4.9 years for school life expectancy, secondary, both sexes in 2023.
That represents a change of down 0.3% on the previous year and up 13.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school life expectancy, secondary, both sexes in Kenya peaked at 4.92 years in 2022 and was at its lowest, 1.22 years, in 1970.
That places Kenya 142nd out of 214 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
School life expectancy, secondary, both sexes (years) (life both) in Kenya, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 1.22 years | — |
| 1971 | 1.25 years | +2.1% |
| 1972 | 1.3 years | +4.1% |
| 1973 | 1.32 years | +1.9% |
| 1974 | 1.39 years | +5.3% |
| 1975 | 1.47 years | +5.7% |
| 1976 | 1.62 years | +9.8% |
| 1977 | 1.64 years | +1.6% |
| 1978 | 1.75 years | +6.3% |
| 1979 | 1.8 years | +2.9% |
| 1980 | 1.99 years | +10.5% |
| 1981 | 1.94 years | -2.5% |
| 1982 | 1.94 years | -0.1% |
| 1983 | 2.03 years | +4.7% |
| 1984 | 2.14 years | +5.4% |
| 1985 | 2.67 years | +25.1% |
| 1986 | 2.66 years | -0.4% |
| 1987 | 2.83 years | +6.4% |
| 1988 | 2.82 years | -0.5% |
| 1999 | 2.46 years | -12.7% |
| 2000 | 2.5 years | +1.4% |
| 2001 | 2.54 years | +1.6% |
| 2002 | 2.54 years | +0.3% |
| 2003 | 2.61 years | +2.8% |
| 2004 | 2.83 years | +8.1% |
| 2005 | 2.84 years | +0.3% |
| 2006 | 2.95 years | +4.0% |
| 2007 | 3.07 years | +4.2% |
| 2008 | 3.45 years | +12.3% |
| 2009 | 3.5 years | +1.3% |
| 2015 | 4.31 years | +23.1% |
| 2016 | 4.43 years | +2.7% |
| 2021 | 4.74 years | +7.2% |
| 2022 | 4.92 years | +3.6% |
| 2023 | 4.9 years | -0.3% |
Kenya compared with similar countries
- Kenya's 4.9 years is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 4.2 years, 1.2× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Kenya's 4.9 years is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 3.05 years, 1.6× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 1.48 years | 1.22 years | 1.8 years | 10 |
| 1980s | 2.33 years | 1.94 years | 2.83 years | 9 |
| 1990s | 2.46 years | 2.46 years | 2.46 years | 1 |
| 2000s | 2.88 years | 2.5 years | 3.5 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.37 years | 4.31 years | 4.43 years | 2 |
| 2020s | 4.85 years | 4.74 years | 4.92 years | 3 |
Countries ranked near Kenya
- 139 Cote d'Ivoire 5 years compare
- 140 Seychelles 4.92 years compare
- 141 Puerto Rico 4.91 years compare
- 143 Venezuela 4.89 years compare
- 144 Paraguay 4.87 years compare
- 145 Maldives 4.83 years 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 school life expectancy, secondary, both sexes in Kenya?
- School life expectancy, secondary, both sexes in Kenya was 4.9 years in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest school life expectancy, secondary, both sexes recorded in Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 4.92 years in 2022.
- What is the lowest school life expectancy, secondary, both sexes recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.22 years in 1970.
- How does Kenya rank for school life expectancy, secondary, both sexes?
- Kenya ranks 142nd out of 214 countries with data for 2023.
- Is school life expectancy, secondary, both sexes rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is up 13.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Kenya data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of School life expectancy, secondary, both sexes (years). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release