Share of youth not in education, employment or training, total (% of) in Kenya
Kenya: Share of youth not in education, employment or training, total (% of) was 19.5% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Share of youth not in education, employment or training, total (% of) in Kenya, 2005–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
In 2025, share of youth not in education, employment or training, total (% of) in Kenya stood at 19.5%.
The figure is up 0.5% on the previous year and up 34.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of youth not in education, employment or training, total (% of) in Kenya peaked at 22.7% in 2005 and was at its lowest, 13.7%, in 2016.
Kenya ranks 85th of 187 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 21 years of available data.
Share of youth not in education, employment or training, total (% of) in Kenya, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 22.7% | — |
| 2006 | 21.8% | -3.9% |
| 2007 | 20.9% | -4.0% |
| 2008 | 20.2% | -3.4% |
| 2009 | 19.4% | -3.9% |
| 2010 | 18.5% | -4.6% |
| 2011 | 17.6% | -4.9% |
| 2012 | 16.8% | -4.7% |
| 2013 | 16.1% | -4.4% |
| 2014 | 15.3% | -4.8% |
| 2015 | 14.6% | -4.9% |
| 2016 | 13.7% | -5.7% |
| 2017 | 15.6% | +13.6% |
| 2018 | 17.6% | +12.8% |
| 2019 | 19.7% | +11.8% |
| 2020 | 19.5% | -1.1% |
| 2021 | 18.5% | -4.9% |
| 2022 | 19.3% | +4.2% |
| 2023 | 19.3% | +0.3% |
| 2024 | 19.4% | +0.5% |
| 2025 | 19.5% | +0.5% |
Kenya compared with similar countries
- Kenya's 19.5% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 24.5%, 80% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Kenya's 19.5% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 27.2%, 72% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 21.0% | 19.4% | 22.7% | 5 |
| 2010s | 16.6% | 13.7% | 19.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 19.3% | 18.5% | 19.5% | 6 |
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 share of youth not in education, employment or training, total (% of) in Kenya?
- Share of youth not in education, employment or training, total (% of) in Kenya was 19.5% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest share of youth not in education, employment or training, total (% of) recorded in Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 22.7% in 2005.
- What is the lowest share of youth not in education, employment or training, total (% of) recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 13.7% in 2016.
- How does Kenya rank for share of youth not in education, employment or training, total (% of)?
- Kenya ranks 85th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is share of youth not in education, employment or training, total (% of) rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is up 34.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Kenya data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Share of youth not in education, employment or training, total (% of youth population) (modeled ILO estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
The share of youth not in education, employment or training (also known as “the NEET rate”) conveys the number of young persons not in education, employment or training as a percentage of the total youth population. Youth not in education are those who were neither enrolled in school nor in a formal training program (e.g. vocational training). For the purposes of this indicator, youth is defined as all persons between the ages of 15 and 24 (inclusive).