Kenya: Government expenditure on education, total (% of government expenditure)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2025, Kenya's government expenditure on education, total (% of government expenditure) rose 0.62 percentage points on 2024 (from 27.92% to 28.54%).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1982 to 2024), the average change was +0.69 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 3.75 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.0 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 16.34 percentage points in 1982 and the biggest yearly fall was 2.86 percentage points in 1984. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2016 to 2025 the straight-line trend is upward, about 1.17 percentage points a year. A straight line explains 56% of the movement over 10 observed years.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2025, Kenya had the 2nd highest value of the 58 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to Kenya in the 2025 ranking

• Namibia — 2nd of 58: 24.58%
• Bhutan — 3rd of 58: 22.22%
• Senegal — 4th of 58: 20.91%

What this measures

General government expenditure on education (current, capital, and transfers) is expressed as a percentage of total general government expenditure on all sectors (including health, education, social services, etc.). It includes expenditure funded by transfers from international sources to government. General government usually refers to local, regional and central governments.

Limitations: Data on government expenditure on education may refer to spending by the ministry of education only (excluding spending on educational activities by other ministries). In addition, definitions and methods of data on total general government expenditure may differ across countries.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a median.

All 37 values

Government expenditure on education, total (% of government expenditure) in nearby economies

• Angola — 6.52% (2025)
• Benin — 18.02% (2025)
• Botswana — 21.47% (2020)
• Burkina Faso — 20.3% (2023)
• Burundi — 10.29% (2025)
• Cabo Verde — 13.41% (2024)
• Cameroon — 13.83% (2024)
• Central African Republic — 9.99% (2023)

More education data for Kenya

• Primary school starting age (years) — 6 (2025)
• Primary education, duration (years) — 6 (2025)
• Lower secondary school starting age (years) — 12 (2025)
• Secondary education, duration (years) — 6 (2025)
• Primary education, pupils — 8.04 million (2023)
• School enrollment, primary (% gross) — 98.25% (2023)
• School enrollment, primary, female (% gross) — 96.63% (2023)
• School enrollment, primary, male (% gross) — 99.85% (2023)
• School enrollment, primary (gross), gender parity index (GPI) — 0.97 (2019)
• Government expenditure on education, total (% of GDP)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
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• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is Kenya's government expenditure on education, total (% of government expenditure)?

28.54% in 2025, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1980?

It is up 28.54 percentage points from 0% in 1980. The highest value was 28.94% in 2005 and the lowest 0% in 1980.

How does Kenya rank?

2nd highest of 58 economies with data for 2025.

Is the latest change in government expenditure on education, total (% of government expenditure) unusual for Kenya?

In 2025, Kenya's government expenditure on education, total (% of government expenditure) rose 0.62 percentage points on 2024 (from 27.92% to 28.54%). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1982 to 2024), the average change was +0.69 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 3.75 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.0 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SE.XPD.TOTL.GB.ZS, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), uri: https://databrowser.uis.unesco.org/resources, note: The data are obtained through the UIS API. Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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