Government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Kenya
Kenya: Government spending on education overall vs. primary education was 4.0% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Kenya, 1971–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
The most recent figure for government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Kenya is 4.0%, measured in 2024.
The figure is up 1.5% on the previous year and down 14.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Kenya peaked at 7.3% in 2005 and was at its lowest, 3.9%, in 1971.
Kenya ranks 108th of 199 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 43 years of available data.
Government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Kenya, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 3.9% | — |
| 1972 | 4.5% | +13.9% |
| 1973 | 4.7% | +3.9% |
| 1974 | 5.1% | +8.9% |
| 1975 | 5.6% | +10.7% |
| 1976 | 5.7% | +2.5% |
| 1977 | 5.1% | -10.6% |
| 1980 | 5.4% | +4.9% |
| 1981 | 5.9% | +9.9% |
| 1982 | 5.7% | -4.1% |
| 1983 | 5.4% | -4.2% |
| 1984 | 4.6% | -15.8% |
| 1985 | 5.2% | +13.5% |
| 1986 | 6.0% | +15.7% |
| 1988 | 6.6% | +9.8% |
| 1989 | 6.0% | -8.6% |
| 1991 | 6.6% | +8.9% |
| 1992 | 6.1% | -7.5% |
| 1993 | 6.0% | -0.8% |
| 1994 | 5.9% | -1.7% |
| 1999 | 5.3% | -10.1% |
| 2000 | 5.2% | -2.6% |
| 2001 | 5.2% | +0.4% |
| 2002 | 6.2% | +18.6% |
| 2003 | 6.5% | +5.2% |
| 2004 | 6.8% | +4.7% |
| 2005 | 7.3% | +7.9% |
| 2006 | 7.0% | -3.9% |
| 2010 | 4.8% | -31.7% |
| 2011 | 4.7% | -2.4% |
| 2012 | 4.9% | +4.9% |
| 2013 | 4.8% | -1.9% |
| 2014 | 4.7% | -2.5% |
| 2015 | 4.7% | +0.6% |
| 2016 | 4.9% | +3.2% |
| 2017 | 5.0% | +1.4% |
| 2018 | 5.1% | +2.9% |
| 2019 | 5.4% | +5.2% |
| 2020 | 5.0% | -6.1% |
| 2021 | 4.9% | -3.1% |
| 2022 | 4.5% | -7.8% |
| 2023 | 4.0% | -12.2% |
| 2024 | 4.0% | +1.5% |
Kenya compared with similar countries
- Kenya's 4.0% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 4.0%, 1.0× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Kenya's 4.0% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 3.2%, 1.3× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 4.9% | 3.9% | 5.7% | 7 |
| 1980s | 5.7% | 4.6% | 6.6% | 9 |
| 1990s | 6.0% | 5.3% | 6.6% | 5 |
| 2000s | 6.3% | 5.2% | 7.3% | 7 |
| 2010s | 4.9% | 4.7% | 5.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.5% | 4.0% | 5.0% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Kenya
More reference data data for Kenya
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.5379 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 12.22 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 14.55 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.377 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 14.55 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 1.8 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 1.1 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 58.05 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 68.95 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 2.05 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Kenya?
- Government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Kenya was 4.0% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest government spending on education overall vs. primary education recorded in Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 7.3% in 2005.
- What is the lowest government spending on education overall vs. primary education recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.9% in 1971.
- How does Kenya rank for government spending on education overall vs. primary education?
- Kenya ranks 108th out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is government spending on education overall vs. primary education rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is down 14.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Kenya data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Government spending on education overall vs. primary education. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Total annual general government spending on all levels of education, expressed as a percentage of GDP.