Proportion of total government spending on essential … social in Kenya
Kenya: Proportion of total government spending on essential … social was 5.5% in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Proportion of total government spending on essential services, social in Kenya, 2000–2023
Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
Analysis
Kenya recorded 5.5% for proportion of total government spending on essential services, social in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.5% on the previous year and up 74.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, proportion of total government spending on essential services, social in Kenya peaked at 19.3% in 2019 and was at its lowest, 3.0%, in 2000.
That places Kenya 106th out of 128 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Proportion of total government spending on essential … social in Kenya, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 3.0% | — |
| 2001 | 6.3% | +108.4% |
| 2002 | 4.1% | -35.4% |
| 2003 | 8.4% | +104.0% |
| 2004 | 4.1% | -50.3% |
| 2005 | 5.0% | +20.2% |
| 2006 | 6.9% | +39.2% |
| 2007 | 6.5% | -5.9% |
| 2008 | 6.5% | -0.1% |
| 2009 | 7.2% | +9.6% |
| 2010 | 4.7% | -34.4% |
| 2011 | 3.7% | -21.5% |
| 2012 | 4.1% | +12.5% |
| 2013 | 3.1% | -24.2% |
| 2017 | 3.7% | +16.8% |
| 2018 | 4.5% | +22.0% |
| 2019 | 19.3% | +331.9% |
| 2020 | 5.5% | -71.8% |
| 2021 | 5.8% | +6.9% |
| 2022 | 5.4% | -8.3% |
| 2023 | 5.5% | +2.5% |
Kenya compared with similar countries
- Kenya's 5.5% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 6.3%, 87% of the median. (21 countries reporting)
- Kenya's 5.5% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 5.5%, 1.0× the median. (17 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Proportion of total government spending on essential … social in Kenya changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | +331.9% | 4.5% | 19.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 5.8% | 3.0% | 8.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.2% | 3.1% | 19.3% | 7 |
| 2020s | 5.5% | 5.4% | 5.8% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Kenya
More poverty & inequality data for Kenya
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via the World Bank 3 surveys (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per person (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Fertility rate vs. share living in extreme poverty 3.21 live births per woman (2023)
- Cereal yield vs. share in extreme poverty 1,758 kg per hectare (2023)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, annual growth rate 18.96 % change on previous year (2023)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, gaps filled 16.07 (2023)
- Tax revenue as share of GDP vs. income inequality 16.1% (2023)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is proportion of total government spending on essential services, social in Kenya?
- Proportion of total government spending on essential services, social in Kenya was 5.5% in 2023, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
- What is the highest proportion of total government spending on essential services, social recorded in Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 19.3% in 2019.
- What is the lowest proportion of total government spending on essential services, social recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.0% in 2000.
- How does Kenya rank for proportion of total government spending on essential services, social?
- Kenya ranks 106th out of 128 countries with data for 2023.
- Is proportion of total government spending on essential services, social rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is up 74.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Kenya data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database, published as part of Proportion of total government spending on essential services, social protection (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 21 observations, free to reuse under UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested).