Labor force participation rate in Kenya
Kenya: Labor force participation rate was 67.4% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Latest (2025)
67.4%
Change on year
down 0.0%
World rank
42nd
of 186 countries
All-time high
74.4%
in 2016
All-time low
67.1%
in 2020
Years of data
36
1990–2025
Labor force participation rate in Kenya, 1990–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Kenya recorded 67.4% for labor force participation rate in 2025.
That represents a change of down 9.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force participation rate in Kenya peaked at 74.4% in 2016 and was at its lowest, 67.1%, in 2020.
Kenya ranks 42nd of 186 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 36 years of available data.
Labor force participation rate in Kenya, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 73.0% | — |
| 1991 | 72.9% | -0.1% |
| 1992 | 72.9% | -0.1% |
| 1993 | 72.8% | -0.1% |
| 1994 | 72.7% | -0.1% |
| 1995 | 72.7% | -0.1% |
| 1996 | 72.6% | -0.1% |
| 1997 | 72.5% | -0.1% |
| 1998 | 72.5% | -0.1% |
| 1999 | 72.4% | -0.1% |
| 2000 | 72.5% | +0.2% |
| 2001 | 72.6% | +0.2% |
| 2002 | 72.8% | +0.2% |
| 2003 | 72.9% | +0.2% |
| 2004 | 73.0% | +0.2% |
| 2005 | 73.1% | +0.2% |
| 2006 | 73.2% | +0.2% |
| 2007 | 73.4% | +0.2% |
| 2008 | 73.5% | +0.2% |
| 2009 | 73.6% | +0.2% |
| 2010 | 73.7% | +0.2% |
| 2011 | 73.8% | +0.2% |
| 2012 | 73.9% | +0.2% |
| 2013 | 74.1% | +0.2% |
| 2014 | 74.2% | +0.2% |
| 2015 | 74.3% | +0.2% |
| 2016 | 74.4% | +0.2% |
| 2017 | 72.3% | -2.8% |
| 2018 | 70.1% | -3.0% |
| 2019 | 67.8% | -3.3% |
| 2020 | 67.1% | -1.1% |
| 2021 | 67.5% | +0.6% |
| 2022 | 67.5% | +0.1% |
| 2023 | 67.5% | -0.1% |
| 2024 | 67.4% | -0.1% |
| 2025 | 67.4% | -0.0% |
Kenya compared with similar countries
- Kenya's 67.4% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 57.7%, 1.2× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Kenya's 67.4% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 64.3%, 1.0× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 72.7% | 72.4% | 73.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 73.1% | 72.5% | 73.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 72.9% | 67.8% | 74.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 67.4% | 67.1% | 67.5% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Kenya
- 39 Congo 67.8% compare
- 40 Kazakhstan 67.8% compare
- 41 Zimbabwe 67.7% compare
- 43 Netherlands 67.2% compare
- 44 Cote d'Ivoire 67.1% compare
- 45 Mali 67.0% 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 labor force participation rate in Kenya?
- Labor force participation rate in Kenya was 67.4% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest labor force participation rate recorded in Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 74.4% in 2016.
- What is the lowest labor force participation rate recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 67.1% in 2020.
- How does Kenya rank for labor force participation rate?
- Kenya ranks 42nd out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is labor force participation rate rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is down 9.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Kenya data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Labor force participation rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 36 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Share of the working-age population (ages 15 and over) who are economically active (employed or unemployed).