Employment in industry (% of total employment) in Kenya
Kenya: Employment in industry (% of total employment) was 12.5% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Employment in industry (% of total employment) in Kenya, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
Kenya recorded 12.5% for employment in industry (% of total employment) in 2025. That is the highest value across all 35 years on record.
The figure is up 1.3% on the previous year and up 19.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment in industry (% of total employment) in Kenya peaked at 12.5% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 9.2%, in 2003.
Kenya ranks 158th of 187 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Employment in industry (% of total employment) in Kenya, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 10.9% | — |
| 1992 | 10.6% | -2.1% |
| 1993 | 10.4% | -1.8% |
| 1994 | 10.4% | -0.8% |
| 1995 | 10.3% | -0.2% |
| 1996 | 10.3% | -0.0% |
| 1997 | 10.1% | -2.1% |
| 1998 | 10.1% | -0.7% |
| 1999 | 9.9% | -1.5% |
| 2000 | 9.6% | -2.7% |
| 2001 | 9.6% | -0.7% |
| 2002 | 9.3% | -2.6% |
| 2003 | 9.2% | -1.1% |
| 2004 | 9.3% | +0.5% |
| 2005 | 9.4% | +1.1% |
| 2006 | 9.5% | +1.4% |
| 2007 | 9.7% | +1.8% |
| 2008 | 9.4% | -2.5% |
| 2009 | 9.4% | -0.7% |
| 2010 | 9.6% | +3.0% |
| 2011 | 9.8% | +1.4% |
| 2012 | 9.9% | +1.3% |
| 2013 | 10.0% | +1.0% |
| 2014 | 10.2% | +2.2% |
| 2015 | 10.4% | +2.1% |
| 2016 | 10.6% | +1.7% |
| 2017 | 10.8% | +1.7% |
| 2018 | 11.1% | +3.3% |
| 2019 | 11.4% | +2.0% |
| 2020 | 11.3% | -0.7% |
| 2021 | 11.3% | +0.5% |
| 2022 | 12.0% | +5.3% |
| 2023 | 12.2% | +1.7% |
| 2024 | 12.3% | +1.3% |
| 2025 | 12.5% | +1.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 10.3% | 9.9% | 10.9% | 9 |
| 2000s | 9.4% | 9.2% | 9.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 10.4% | 9.6% | 11.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 11.9% | 11.3% | 12.5% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Kenya
- 155 Fiji 12.7% compare
- 156 Channel Islands 12.6% compare
- 157 Republic of Moldova 12.6% compare
- 159 Zimbabwe 11.5% compare
- 160 Sierra Leone 11.5% compare
- 161 Yemen 11.1% compare
More work & labour data for Kenya
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.0278 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.0507 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.0073 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate 0.2281 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 2.98 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 44,185 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 51,282 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 53,727 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 50,468 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 104,196 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is employment in industry (% of total employment) in Kenya?
- Employment in industry (% of total employment) in Kenya was 12.5% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest employment in industry (% of total employment) recorded in Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 12.5% in 2025.
- What is the lowest employment in industry (% of total employment) recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.2% in 2003.
- How does Kenya rank for employment in industry (% of total employment)?
- Kenya ranks 158th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is employment in industry (% of total employment) rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is up 19.6%. 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 (% of total employment) (modeled ILO estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
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).