Employee compensation as share of government spending in Kenya
Kenya: Employee compensation as share of government spending was 18.4% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Employee compensation as share of government spending in Kenya, 2014–2023
Source: International Monetary Fund (IMF) Government Finance Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of expense.
Analysis
Kenya recorded 18.4% for employee compensation as share of government spending in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 10 years on record.
The figure is down 12.0% on the previous year and down 48.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employee compensation as share of government spending in Kenya peaked at 36.2% in 2019 and was at its lowest, 18.4%, in 2023.
That places Kenya 106th out of 155 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
Employee compensation as share of government spending in Kenya, year by year
| Year | % of expense | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 35.6% | — |
| 2015 | 32.7% | -7.9% |
| 2016 | 30.1% | -8.0% |
| 2017 | 25.6% | -15.1% |
| 2018 | 28.7% | +12.3% |
| 2019 | 36.2% | +25.9% |
| 2020 | 34.4% | -5.0% |
| 2021 | 22.8% | -33.7% |
| 2022 | 20.9% | -8.2% |
| 2023 | 18.4% | -12.0% |
Kenya compared with similar countries
- Kenya's 18.4% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 31.8%, 58% of the median. (36 countries reporting)
- Kenya's 18.4% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 36.9%, 50% of the median. (36 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 31.5% | 25.6% | 36.2% | 6 |
| 2020s | 24.1% | 18.4% | 34.4% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Kenya
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 employee compensation as share of government spending in Kenya?
- Employee compensation as share of government spending in Kenya was 18.4% in 2023, according to International Monetary Fund (IMF) Government Finance Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest employee compensation as share of government spending recorded in Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 36.2% in 2019.
- What is the lowest employee compensation as share of government spending recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 18.4% in 2023.
- How does Kenya rank for employee compensation as share of government spending?
- Kenya ranks 106th out of 155 countries with data for 2023.
- Is employee compensation as share of government spending rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is down 48.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Kenya data come from?
- The figures come from International Monetary Fund (IMF) Government Finance Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Employee compensation as share of government spending. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 10 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Employee compensation includes wages, in-kind payments, and government contributions to social insurance schemes such as social security and pensions.