Share of the population with completed tertiary education in Kenya
Kenya: Share of the population with completed tertiary education was 8.4 in 2020. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2020)
8.4
World rank
70th
of 111 countries
All-time high
8.7
in 2010
All-time low
0
in 1870
Years of data
31
1870–2020
Share of the population with completed tertiary education in Kenya, 1870–2020
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
Kenya recorded 8.4 for share of the population with completed tertiary education in 2020.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 3.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of the population with completed tertiary education in Kenya peaked at 8.7 in 2010 and was at its lowest, 0, in 1870.
Kenya ranks 70th of 111 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Share of the population with completed tertiary education in Kenya, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1870 | 0 | — |
| 1875 | 0 | — |
| 1880 | 0 | — |
| 1885 | 0 | — |
| 1890 | 0 | — |
| 1895 | 0 | — |
| 1900 | 0 | — |
| 1905 | 0 | — |
| 1910 | 0.1 | — |
| 1915 | 0.1 | +0.0% |
| 1920 | 0.2 | +100.0% |
| 1925 | 0.2 | +0.0% |
| 1930 | 0.2 | +0.0% |
| 1935 | 0.3 | +50.0% |
| 1940 | 0.3 | +0.0% |
| 1945 | 0.3 | +0.0% |
| 1950 | 0.3 | +0.0% |
| 1955 | 0.3 | +0.0% |
| 1960 | 0.3 | +0.0% |
| 1965 | 0.4 | +33.3% |
| 1970 | 0.5 | +25.0% |
| 1975 | 0.8 | +60.0% |
| 1980 | 1.3 | +62.5% |
| 1985 | 1.8 | +38.5% |
| 1990 | 2.5 | +38.9% |
| 1995 | 3.6 | +44.0% |
| 2000 | 4.9 | +36.1% |
| 2005 | 6.7 | +36.7% |
| 2010 | 8.7 | +29.9% |
| 2015 | 8.5 | -2.3% |
| 2020 | 8.4 | -1.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1870s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1880s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1890s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1900s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1910s | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 2 |
| 1920s | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 2 |
| 1930s | 0.25 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 2 |
| 1940s | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 2 |
| 1950s | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 2 |
| 1960s | 0.35 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 2 |
| 1970s | 0.65 | 0.5 | 0.8 | 2 |
| 1980s | 1.55 | 1.3 | 1.8 | 2 |
| 1990s | 3.05 | 2.5 | 3.6 | 2 |
| 2000s | 5.8 | 4.9 | 6.7 | 2 |
| 2010s | 8.6 | 8.5 | 8.7 | 2 |
| 2020s | 8.4 | 8.4 | 8.4 | 1 |
Countries ranked near Kenya
More education data for Kenya
- Primary education, teachers, gaps filled 281,500 (2023)
- Duration of pre primary education, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Duration of pre primary education 3 (2025)
- Official entrance age to pre primary education 3 (2025)
- Population ages 15-64 60.7% (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 36.3% (2025)
- Lower secondary school starting age 12 years (2025)
- Primary school starting age 6 years (2025)
- Primary secondary enrollment completion rates, gaps filled 98.25 (2023)
- School enrollment, primary 98.2% (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of the population with completed tertiary education in Kenya?
- Share of the population with completed tertiary education in Kenya was 8.4 in 2020, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of the population with completed tertiary education recorded in Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 8.7 in 2010.
- What is the lowest share of the population with completed tertiary education recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 in 1870.
- How does Kenya rank for share of the population with completed tertiary education?
- Kenya ranks 70th out of 111 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of the population with completed tertiary education rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is down 3.4%. 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 Share of the population with completed tertiary 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).