Employment by status in Kenya
Kenya: Employment by status was 35.1% in 2024. ▲ Rising
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.
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
- Legislation on sexual harassment in employment 1 (1=yes; 0=no) (2023)
- Criminal sanctions or compensation for workplace sexual harassment 1 (1=yes; 0=no) (2023)
- Women can take the same jobs as men 1 (1=yes; 0=no) (2023)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) 67.4% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) 71.8% (2025)
- Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) 87.7% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages 15 63.0% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15-6 68.0% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) 72.3% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages 15 63.8% (2025)
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.