Employment by status in Kenya
Kenya: Employment by status was 35.1% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
35.1%
Change on year
up 0.9%
World rank
147th
of 186 countries
All-time high
38.0%
in 2019
All-time low
32.5%
in 1991
Years of data
34
1991–2024
Employment by status in Kenya, 1991–2024
Source: International Labour Organization (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for employment by status in Kenya is 35.1%, measured in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.9% on the previous year and down 4.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment by status in Kenya peaked at 38.0% in 2019 and was at its lowest, 32.5%, in 1991.
Kenya ranks 147th of 186 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 34 years of available data.
Employment by status in Kenya, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 32.5% | — |
| 1992 | 32.6% | +0.3% |
| 1993 | 32.6% | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 32.6% | +0.1% |
| 1995 | 32.7% | +0.1% |
| 1996 | 32.8% | +0.4% |
| 1997 | 32.9% | +0.3% |
| 1998 | 33.0% | +0.4% |
| 1999 | 33.2% | +0.5% |
| 2000 | 33.3% | +0.4% |
| 2001 | 33.4% | +0.3% |
| 2002 | 33.5% | +0.3% |
| 2003 | 33.6% | +0.3% |
| 2004 | 33.8% | +0.6% |
| 2005 | 34.0% | +0.7% |
| 2006 | 34.3% | +0.7% |
| 2007 | 34.6% | +1.0% |
| 2008 | 34.9% | +0.7% |
| 2009 | 35.1% | +0.7% |
| 2010 | 35.4% | +0.8% |
| 2011 | 35.7% | +0.9% |
| 2012 | 36.0% | +0.8% |
| 2013 | 36.2% | +0.8% |
| 2014 | 36.5% | +0.8% |
| 2015 | 36.8% | +0.8% |
| 2016 | 37.1% | +0.8% |
| 2017 | 37.4% | +0.8% |
| 2018 | 37.7% | +0.9% |
| 2019 | 38.0% | +0.7% |
| 2020 | 35.6% | -6.2% |
| 2021 | 34.1% | -4.3% |
| 2022 | 34.4% | +0.9% |
| 2023 | 34.7% | +0.9% |
| 2024 | 35.1% | +0.9% |
Kenya compared with similar countries
- Kenya's 35.1% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 35.3%, 99% of the median. (45 countries reporting)
- Kenya's 35.1% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 26.5%, 1.3× the median. (46 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 32.8% | 32.5% | 33.2% | 9 |
| 2000s | 34.1% | 33.3% | 35.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 36.7% | 35.4% | 38.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 34.8% | 34.1% | 35.6% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Kenya
- 144 Bangladesh 38.6% compare
- 145 North Korea 37.9% compare
- 146 Senegal 35.3% compare
- 148 Myanmar 34.5% compare
- 149 Bolivia 33.5% compare
- 150 Azerbaijan 32.8% 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 by status in Kenya?
- Employment by status in Kenya was 35.1% in 2024, according to International Labour Organization (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest employment by status recorded in Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 38.0% in 2019.
- What is the lowest employment by status recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 32.5% in 1991.
- How does Kenya rank for employment by status?
- Kenya ranks 147th out of 186 countries with data for 2024.
- Is employment by status rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is down 4.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Kenya data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Employment by status. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 34 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Share of people in employment working as employees, as a percentage of total employment.