Children out of school, primary in Kenya

Kenya: Children out of school, primary was 468,923 in 2023. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2023)
468,923
Change on year
down 82.7%
World rank
23rd
of 197 countries
All-time high
3.00 million
in 2021
All-time low
311,609
in 2007
Years of data
15
1999–2023

Children out of school, primary in Kenya, 1999–2023

01.0M2.0M3.0M1999201120231999: 2.0M2000: 1.9M2001: 1.5M2002: 1.6M2003: 837.5k2004: 908.6k2005: 861.2k2006: 914.6k2007: 311.6k2008: 601.8k2009: 505.6k2012: 1.2M2021: 3.0M2022: 2.7M2023: 468.9k

Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

Analysis

In 2023, children out of school, primary in Kenya stood at 468,923.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 82.7% on the previous year and down 62.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, children out of school, primary in Kenya peaked at 3.00 million in 2021 and was at its lowest, 311,609, in 2007.

That places Kenya 23rd out of 197 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 1.96 million 1.96 million 1.96 million 1
2000s 989,257 311,609 1.87 million 10
2010s 1.25 million 1.25 million 1.25 million 1
2020s 2.06 million 468,923 3.00 million 3

Countries ranked near Kenya

  1. 20 Syria 581,845 compare
  2. 21 Egypt 559,709 compare
  3. 22 Iraq 498,693 compare
  4. 24 South Africa 448,146 compare
  5. 25 Malaysia 404,724 compare
  6. 26 Honduras 346,452 compare

See the full ranking of 202 places →

More education data for Kenya

All data for Kenya →

Frequently asked questions

What is children out of school, primary in Kenya?
Children out of school, primary in Kenya was 468,923 in 2023, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
What is the highest children out of school, primary recorded in Kenya?
The highest recorded value was 3.00 million in 2021.
What is the lowest children out of school, primary recorded in Kenya?
The lowest recorded value was 311,609 in 2007.
How does Kenya rank for children out of school, primary?
Kenya ranks 23rd out of 197 countries with data for 2023.
Is children out of school, primary rising or falling in Kenya?
Over the last ten years it is down 62.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Kenya data come from?
The figures come from Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of Children out of school, primary. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

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About this data

Indicator
Children out of school, primary
Source
Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
202 places, 4,752 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed

Children out of school are the number of primary-school-age children not enrolled in primary or secondary school.