Kenya Unemployment Rate
Unemployment as % of total labor force SL.UEM.TOTL.ZS
Kenya's unemployment rate was 5.45% in 2025, ranked 99th globally. This represents a 0.7% decrease from 2024. Data from World Bank, covering 1991–2025.
Overview
Kenya's unemployment rate stood at 5.45% in 2025, a decline of +0.04pp from 2024. Kenya ranked 99th globally.
Kenya’s unemployment rate has risen steadily over the 35‑year series, moving from a low of 2.78 % in 1991 to an all‑time peak of 5.69 % in 2021 before easing slightly to 5.45 % in 2025, ranking 99th globally. The trough in 2007, at 2.64 %, coincided with a period of robust agricultural growth and expanded informal sector activity, while the post‑pandemic surge to the 2021 peak reflected contraction in tourism and manufacturing. Kenya’s 2025 rate is closely aligned with peer economies such as Pakistan (5.42 %) and Azerbaijan (5.46 %), suggesting regional convergence in labour market pressures despite differing structural compositions. The modest decline from the 2021 high indicates that policy measures aimed at diversifying employment, particularly in renewable energy and digital services, could further reduce joblessness, provided that macro‑economic stability and investment climate improvements are sustained.
Data & projection
| Year | Unemployment Rate | YoY change | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 5.45% | −0.04pp | #99 |
| 2024 | 5.49% | +0.08pp | #106 |
| 2023 | 5.41% | −0.16pp | #102 |
| 2022 | 5.57% | −0.13pp | #101 |
| 2021 | 5.69% | +0.08pp | #92 |
| 2020 | 5.61% | +0.60pp | #80 |
| 2019 | 5.01% | +0.73pp | #91 |
| 2018 | 4.28% | +0.74pp | #69 |
| 2017 | 3.54% | +0.79pp | #45 |
| 2016 | 2.76% | −0.00pp | #29 |
| 2015 | 2.76% | −0.00pp | #31 |
| 2014 | 2.77% | +0.00pp | #30 |
| 2013 | 2.76% | +0.08pp | #27 |
| 2012 | 2.68% | −0.02pp | #25 |
| 2011 | 2.70% | −0.09pp | #25 |
Detected Pattern
Analysis
Kenya matched the Fiscal Dominance Trap pattern in 2008. Historically, 72% of countries showing this pattern (278 out of 386) saw unemployment rate improve within 24 months. View full analysis →
Frequently Asked Questions
Kenya's unemployment rate was 5.45% in 2025. Ranked 99th globally. This represents a 0.7% decrease from the previous year.
Kenya's unemployment rate peaked at 5.69% in 2021.
The lowest unemployment rate in Kenya was 2.64% in 2007.
Kenya ranks 99th globally in unemployment rate as of 2025.
The World Bank indicator code is SL.UEM.TOTL.ZS. Data sourced from World Bank.
The unemployment rate of Kenya in 2025 was 5.45%. This ranks 99th in the world.
Cite this page
@misc{historysaid_kenya_unemployment-rate,
title = {Kenya Unemployment Rate},
url = {https://historysaid.com/kenya/unemployment-rate/},
publisher = {HistorySaid},
year = {2026}
}