Kenya’s unemployment rate was 5.43 percent in 2024. This represents a steady decline from the increase after the financial crisis. What is unemployment? The unemployment rate of a country refers to the share of people who want to work but cannot find jobs. This includes workers who have lost jobs and are searching for new ones, workers whose jobs ended due to an economic downturn, and workers for whom there are no jobs because the labor supply in their industry is larger than the number of jobs available. Different statistics suggest which factors contribute to the overall unemployment rate. The Kenyan context The first type, so-called “search unemployment”, is hardest to see in the data. The closest proxy is Kenya’s inflation rate. As workers take new jobs faster, employers are forced to increase wages, leading to higher employment. Jobs lost due to economic downturns, called “cyclical unemployment”, can be seen by decreases in the GDP growth rate, which are not significant in Kenya. Finally, “structural unemployment” refers to workers changing the industry, or even economic sector, in which they are working. In Kenya, more and more workers switch to the services sector. This is often a result of urbanization, but any structural shift in the economy’s composition can lead to this unemployment.

Unemployment Rate in Kenya decreased to 5.40 percent in 2024 from 5.60 percent in 2023. This dataset provides - Kenya Unemployment Rate - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

The youth unemployment rate in Kenya stood at 11.93 percent in 2024. Between 1991 and 2024, the youth unemployment rate rose by 5.7 percentage points, though the increase followed an uneven trajectory rather than a consistent upward trend.

Graph and download economic data for Youth Unemployment Rate for Kenya (SLUEM1524ZSKEN) from 1991 to 2024 about Kenya, 15 to 24 years, unemployment, and rate.

Key information about Kenya Labour Force Participation Rate

• Kenya Labour Force Participation Rate dropped to 67.0 % in Dec 2023, compared with 67.2 % in the previous year.
• Kenya Labour Force Participation Rate is updated yearly, available from Dec 1990 to Dec 2023, with an average rate of 72.9 % .
• The data reached the an all-time high of 74.4 % in Dec 2016 and a record low of 67.0 % in Dec 2023.
• Kenya Labour Force Participation Rate is reported by reported by CEIC Data.
• In the latest reports, Kenya Population reached 51.5 million people in Dec 2023.
• Unemployment Rate of Kenya increased to 3.0 % in Dec 2020.
• The country's Monthly Earnings stood at 590.5 USD in Jun 2023.

Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (modeled ILO estimate) in Kenya was reported at 5.434 % in 2024, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Kenya - Unemployment, total - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on June of 2025.

In the fourth quarter of 2022, the unemployment rate in Kenya was higher among young people aged 20-24 years. The second most affected group was composed of Kenyans in the age range of 15 to 19 years. Among these, **** percent were unemployed. In the same period, the overall unemployment rate in Kenya was measured at *** percent.

Key information about Kenya Unemployment Rate

• Kenya Unemployment Rate increased to 2.98% in Dec 2020, from the previously reported figure of 2.60% in Dec 2019.
• Kenya Unemployment Rate is updated yearly, available from Dec 1991 to Dec 2020, with an average rate of 2.86%.
• The data reached an all-time high of 2.98% in Dec 2020 and a record low of 2.60% in Dec 2019.
• The data is reported by reported by CEIC Data.
• In the latest reports, Kenya Population reached 49.40 million people in Dec 2021.

Historical chart and dataset showing Kenya youth unemployment rate by year from 1991 to 2024.

Unemployment with advanced education (% of total labor force with advanced education) in Kenya was reported at 8.619 % in 2021, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Kenya - Unemployment with advanced education (% of total unemployment) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on July of 2025.

The unemployment rate among young people in Kenya varied in the fourth quarter of 2022, compared to the previous quarter. In the age group between 20 and 24 years, the rate stood at 15.6 percent, up from 14.2 percent in Q3 2022. Among young people aged 15 to 19 years, the unemployment level dropped to 10.9 percent, after reaching the highest level at 22.7 percent in Q3 2022.

South Africa is expected to register the highest unemployment rate in Africa in 2024, with around ** percent of the country's labor force being unemployed. Djibouti and Eswatini followed, with unemployment reaching roughly ** percent and ** percent, respectively. On the other hand, the lowest unemployment rates in Africa were in Niger and Burundi. The continent’s average stood at roughly ***** percent in the same year. Large shares of youth among the unemployed Due to several educational, socio-demographic, and economic factors, the young population is more likely to face unemployment in most regions of the world. In 2024, the youth unemployment rate in Africa was projected at around ** percent. The situation was particularly critical in certain countries. In 2022, Djibouti recorded a youth unemployment rate of almost ** percent, the highest rate on the continent. South Africa followed, with around ** percent of the young labor force being unemployed. Wide disparities in female unemployment Women are another demographic group often facing high unemployment. In Africa, the female unemployment rate stood at roughly ***** percent in 2023, compared to *** percent among men. The average female unemployment on the continent was not particularly high. However, there were significant disparities among African countries. Djibouti and South Africa topped the ranking once again in 2022, with female unemployment rates of around ** percent and ** percent, respectively. In contrast, Niger, Burundi, and Chad were far below Africa’s average, as only roughly *** percent or lower of the women in the labor force were unemployed.

Unemployment, female (% of female labor force) (modeled ILO estimate) in Kenya was reported at 7.366 % in 2024, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Kenya - Unemployment, female - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on July of 2025.

Kenya: Unemployment rate, percent: The latest value from is percent, unavailable from percent in . In comparison, the world average is 0.00 percent, based on data from countries. Historically, the average for Kenya from to is percent. The minimum value, percent, was reached in while the maximum of percent was recorded in .

In 2023, South Africa had the highest unemployment rate in the world, at 32.1 percent. Of the 10 countries with the highest unemployment rates, six were in Sub-Saharan Africa. What exactly is unemployment? The unemployment rate is the number of people in the workforce currently looking for jobs but not working. This number does not include students and retirees, as they are not looking for work, nor does it include people who have given up on finding a job (known as discouraged workers). Comparing international unemployment rates can be problematic, however, as different countries use different methodologies when classifying unemployment. For example, Niger records the third lowest unemployment rate in the world, despite often being listed as the least developed country worldwide - this is because the majority of the population engage in subsistence farming, with very little opportunity for paid employment. Causes of unemployment in less developed countries A major driver in unemployment in these countries is conflict. In particular, internally displaced persons (IDPs) want to work, but moving to another part of the country disrupts their business network and moves them into a local economy with different labor demand. Countries with low levels of economic development, as roughly indicated by a low GDP per capita, often have fewer labor market opportunities, leading to high unemployment rates.

In 2022, the unemployment rate in Kenya decreased from 5.3 percent in the third quarter to 4.9 percent in the fourth quarter. In the second quarter of 2020, unemployment reached its peak at 10.4 percent among the population aged 15-64 years.

Abstract

The Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) was founded in 2006 with a mandate to collect, analyze, and disseminate statistical data. KNBS provides essential economic indicators like GDP, inflation rates, and unemployment rates, enabling informed policy decisions. Beyond economics, it supports county governments, conducts population censuses, and addresses regional challenges such as water and sanitation needs. KNBS ensures data-driven approaches to education and environmental conservation. With its commitment to reliable statistics, KNBS plays a central role in Kenya’s development journey.The Kenya National Bureau of Statistics disseminates microdata on their National Data Archive data dissemination platform, KeNADA. Datasets include household and firm-level data from surveys conducted by government agencies as well as administrative records. Datasets from 1969 to the current year are listed on the KeNADA site.

Analysis unit

Households, individuals, and establishments

Kind of data

Administrative records and survey data

Kenya KE: Unemployment Rate: YoY data was reported at -42.779 % in Jun 2021. This records a decrease from the previous number of -1.778 % for Mar 2021. Kenya KE: Unemployment Rate: YoY data is updated quarterly, averaging -22.649 % from Mar 2020 (Median) to Jun 2021, with 3 observations. The data reached an all-time high of -1.778 % in Mar 2021 and a record low of -42.779 % in Jun 2021. Kenya KE: Unemployment Rate: YoY data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by International Monetary Fund. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Kenya – Table KE.IMF.IFS: Labour Force, Employment and Unemployment: Quarterly.

Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) (modeled ILO estimate) in Kenya was reported at 3.707 % in 2024, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Kenya - Unemployment, male - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on July of 2025.

The youth unemployment rate in Kenya saw no significant changes in 2024 in comparison to the previous year 2023 and remained at around 11.93 percent. Still, 2024 marked the fourth consecutive decline of the youth unemployment rate. The youth unemployment rate of a country or region refers to the share of the total workforce aged 15 to 24 that is currently without work, but actively searching for employment. It does not include economically inactive persons such as full-time students or the long-term unemployed.Find more key insights for the youth unemployment rate in countries like Somalia and Burundi.