Employment in industry, male (% of male employment) in Kenya

Kenya: Employment in industry, male (% of male employment) was 19.5% in 2025. ▲ Rising

Latest (2025)
19.5%
Change on year
up 1.5%
World rank
136th
of 187 countries
All-time high
19.5%
in 2025
All-time low
14.9%
in 2003
Years of data
35
1991–2025

Employment in industry, male (% of male employment) in Kenya, 1991–2025

051015201991200820251991: 17.31992: 171993: 16.81994: 16.71995: 16.71996: 16.71997: 16.41998: 16.31999: 16.12000: 15.72001: 15.52002: 15.12003: 14.92004: 152005: 15.12006: 15.32007: 15.52008: 15.22009: 15.12010: 15.52011: 15.72012: 15.92013: 16.12014: 16.42015: 16.72016: 172017: 17.22018: 17.72019: 17.92020: 17.72021: 17.92022: 18.52023: 18.92024: 19.22025: 19.5

Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).

Analysis

In 2025, employment in industry, male (% of male employment) in Kenya stood at 19.5%. That is the highest value across all 35 years on record.

That represents a change of up 1.5% on the previous year and up 16.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, employment in industry, male (% of male employment) in Kenya peaked at 19.5% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 14.9%, in 2003.

Kenya ranks 136th of 187 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.

Employment in industry, male (% of male employment) in Kenya, year by year

Annual values for Employment in industry, male (% of male employment) (modeled ILO estimate) in Kenya, 1991 to 2025.
Year Value Change
1991 17.3%
1992 17.0% -1.7%
1993 16.8% -1.5%
1994 16.7% -0.6%
1995 16.7% -0.1%
1996 16.7% +0.1%
1997 16.4% -1.7%
1998 16.3% -0.5%
1999 16.1% -1.1%
2000 15.7% -2.7%
2001 15.5% -0.9%
2002 15.1% -2.6%
2003 14.9% -1.2%
2004 15.0% +0.2%
2005 15.1% +0.8%
2006 15.3% +1.2%
2007 15.5% +1.5%
2008 15.2% -2.4%
2009 15.1% -0.6%
2010 15.5% +2.8%
2011 15.7% +1.3%
2012 15.9% +1.3%
2013 16.1% +1.1%
2014 16.4% +2.2%
2015 16.7% +2.1%
2016 17.0% +1.8%
2017 17.2% +1.1%
2018 17.7% +2.6%
2019 17.9% +1.3%
2020 17.7% -1.1%
2021 17.9% +0.9%
2022 18.5% +3.8%
2023 18.9% +2.0%
2024 19.2% +1.5%
2025 19.5% +1.5%

Kenya compared with similar countries

  • Kenya's 19.5% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 20.1%, 97% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
  • Kenya's 19.5% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 16.8%, 1.2× the median. (47 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 16.7% 16.1% 17.3% 9
2000s 15.2% 14.9% 15.7% 10
2010s 16.6% 15.5% 17.9% 10
2020s 18.6% 17.7% 19.5% 6

Countries ranked near Kenya

  1. 133 Nicaragua 20.0% compare
  2. 134 Belize 19.9% compare
  3. 135 Channel Islands 19.7% compare
  4. 137 Zimbabwe 19.4% compare
  5. 138 Bhutan 19.3% compare
  6. 139 Somalia 18.9% compare

See the full ranking of 235 places →

More work & labour data for Kenya

All data for Kenya →

Frequently asked questions

What is employment in industry, male (% of male employment) in Kenya?
Employment in industry, male (% of male employment) in Kenya was 19.5% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
What is the highest employment in industry, male (% of male employment) recorded in Kenya?
The highest recorded value was 19.5% in 2025.
What is the lowest employment in industry, male (% of male employment) recorded in Kenya?
The lowest recorded value was 14.9% in 2003.
How does Kenya rank for employment in industry, male (% of male employment)?
Kenya ranks 136th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
Is employment in industry, male (% of male employment) rising or falling in Kenya?
Over the last ten years it is up 16.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Kenya data come from?
The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Employment in industry, male (% of male employment) (modeled ILO estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Employment in industry, male (% of male employment) in Kenya. Statizoid, drawing on ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO). Retrieved 16 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/employment-in-industry-male-percent-of-male-employment-modeled-ilo-estimate/kenya/

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About this data

Indicator
Employment in industry, male (% of male employment) (modeled ILO estimate)
Source
ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
235 places, 8,211 data points, 1991–2025
Last refreshed

Employment is defined as persons of working age who were engaged in any activity to produce goods or provide services for pay or profit, whether at work during the reference period or not at work due to temporary absence from a job, or to working-time arrangement. The industry sector consists of mining and quarrying, manufacturing, construction, and public utilities (electricity, gas, and water), in accordance with divisions 2-5 (ISIC 2) or categories C-F (ISIC 3) or categories B-F (ISIC 4).