Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number) in Kenya
Kenya: Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number) was 281,500 in 2023. ▲ Rising
Teachers in primary education, both sexes in Kenya, 1998–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
Kenya recorded 281,500 for teachers in primary education, both sexes in 2023.
The figure is down 3.2% on the previous year and up 59.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, teachers in primary education, both sexes in Kenya peaked at 351,103 in 2016 and was at its lowest, 142,392, in 2002.
That places Kenya 25th out of 216 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 21 years of available data.
Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number) in Kenya, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 169,410 | — |
| 1999 | 148,469 | -12.4% |
| 2000 | 146,205 | -1.5% |
| 2001 | 149,501 | +2.3% |
| 2002 | 142,392 | -4.8% |
| 2003 | 152,828 | +7.3% |
| 2004 | 149,893 | -1.9% |
| 2005 | 144,744 | -3.4% |
| 2006 | 146,879 | +1.5% |
| 2007 | 159,407 | +8.5% |
| 2008 | 157,843 | -1.0% |
| 2009 | 165,002 | +4.5% |
| 2012 | 176,243 | +6.8% |
| 2014 | 260,197 | +47.6% |
| 2015 | 337,252 | +29.6% |
| 2016 | 351,103 | +4.1% |
| 2019 | 281,374 | -19.9% |
| 2020 | 273,765 | -2.7% |
| 2021 | 285,423 | +4.3% |
| 2022 | 290,919 | +1.9% |
| 2023 | 281,500 | -3.2% |
Kenya compared with similar countries
- Kenya's 281,500 is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 46,016, 6.1× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Kenya's 281,500 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 50,688, 5.6× the median. (46 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number) 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | +47.6% | 176,243 | 260,197 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 158,940 | 148,469 | 169,410 | 2 |
| 2000s | 151,469 | 142,392 | 165,002 | 10 |
| 2010s | 281,234 | 176,243 | 351,103 | 5 |
| 2020s | 282,902 | 273,765 | 290,919 | 4 |
Countries ranked near Kenya
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 teachers in primary education, both sexes in Kenya?
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes in Kenya was 281,500 in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest teachers in primary education, both sexes recorded in Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 351,103 in 2016.
- What is the lowest teachers in primary education, both sexes recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 142,392 in 2002.
- How does Kenya rank for teachers in primary education, both sexes?
- Kenya ranks 25th out of 216 countries with data for 2023.
- Is teachers in primary education, both sexes rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is up 59.7%. 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 Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 21 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release