Kenya — Education spending
Government Education Spending (% of GDP) for Kenya, 1971–2024.
Education spending for Kenya was 4.02% in 2024, according to the latest World Bank data. The series covers 43 years, from 1971 to 2024. The highest recorded value was 7.34% in 2005. The lowest was 3.93% in 1971 (about 1.0× the low point). Across that span the compound annual growth rate works out to 0.04% per year.
Kenya ranks 97 of 172 economies on this measure (1 = highest), putting it in the top 56%. The median for Sub-Saharan Africa is 3.61%, so Kenya sits above it. It peaked in 2005 and has fallen 45% since. Over the last decade (2014–2024) the figure moved down 15%. Within Sub-Saharan Africa it ranks 20 of 41 economies; Cote d'Ivoire (3.61%) is just below it. Its sharpest one-year move was down 32% in 2010. That is 15% below this series' own ten-year average.
Data highlights
World ranking. Climbed: 22nd of 53 in 1971 → 16th of 63 in 1980 → 30th of 116 in 2000 → 50th of 130 in 2010 → 58th of 157 in 2020 → 21st of 39 in 2024.
Key figures
Full history — 1971 to 2024
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 4.02% | +0.1 pp |
| 2023 | 3.96% | -0.5 pp |
| 2022 | 4.51% | -0.4 pp |
| 2021 | 4.89% | -0.2 pp |
| 2020 | 5.05% | -0.3 pp |
| 2019 | 5.37% | +0.3 pp |
| 2018 | 5.11% | +0.1 pp |
| 2017 | 4.96% | +0.1 pp |
| 2016 | 4.9% | +0.2 pp |
| 2015 | 4.74% | +0.0 pp |
| 2014 | 4.72% | -0.1 pp |
| 2013 | 4.84% | -0.1 pp |
| 2012 | 4.93% | +0.2 pp |
| 2011 | 4.7% | -0.1 pp |
| 2010 | 4.82% | -2.2 pp |
| 2006 | 7.05% | -0.3 pp |
| 2005 | 7.34% | +0.5 pp |
| 2004 | 6.8% | +0.3 pp |
| 2003 | 6.49% | +0.3 pp |
| 2002 | 6.17% | +1.0 pp |
| 2001 | 5.21% | +0.0 pp |
| 2000 | 5.19% | -0.1 pp |
| 1999 | 5.32% | -0.6 pp |
| 1994 | 5.92% | -0.1 pp |
| 1993 | 6.03% | -0.0 pp |
| 1992 | 6.08% | -0.5 pp |
| 1991 | 6.57% | +0.5 pp |
| 1989 | 6.04% | -0.6 pp |
| 1988 | 6.6% | +0.6 pp |
| 1986 | 6.01% | +0.8 pp |
| 1985 | 5.2% | +0.6 pp |
| 1984 | 4.58% | -0.9 pp |
| 1983 | 5.44% | -0.2 pp |
| 1982 | 5.68% | -0.2 pp |
| 1981 | 5.92% | +0.5 pp |
| 1980 | 5.39% | +0.3 pp |
| 1977 | 5.14% | -0.6 pp |
| 1976 | 5.74% | +0.1 pp |
| 1975 | 5.61% | +0.5 pp |
| 1974 | 5.07% | +0.4 pp |
| 1973 | 4.65% | +0.2 pp |
| 1972 | 4.48% | +0.5 pp |
| 1971 | 3.93% | — |
Frequently asked questions
What was Kenya’s Education spending in 1972?
4.48% (1972). The full year-by-year table above lists every published year, most recent first.
Are changes in this series measured in percentage points?
Yes. The series is a share expressed in % of GDP, so year-over-year movements in the Change column are percentage points (pp), not percent.
Is Kenya’s Education spending growing or shrinking?
Between 1971 and 2024 the series was growing overall: +2.4% in total.
Where does this data come from?
World Bank Open Data (CC BY-4.0), indicator SE.XPD.TOTL.GD.ZS. Values are reproduced as published; this page only computes summary statistics such as change, CAGR and extremes.
What are the most recent published figures?
The last five published years: 2024: 4.02%; 2023: 3.96%; 2022: 4.51%; 2021: 4.89%; 2020: 5.05%. Earlier years are in the full-history table below.
Related data
SE.XPD.TOTL.GD.ZS — Government Education Spending (% of GDP). Data licensed under CC BY 4.0. Values are reproduced as published; this page computes the summary statistics (change, CAGR, extremes) from the underlying annual series. View the original dataset on data.worldbank.org.