Proportion of total government spending on essential … health in Kenya

Kenya: Proportion of total government spending on essential … health was 2.8% in 2023. ▼ Falling

Latest (2023)
2.8%
Change on year
up 2.5%
World rank
125th
of 130 countries
All-time high
7.6%
in 2020
All-time low
2.5%
in 2017
Years of data
21
2000–2023

Proportion of total government spending on essential services, health in Kenya, 2000–2023

24682000201120232000: 5.4 %2001: 5.4 %2002: 6.5 %2003: 6 %2004: 5.3 %2005: 6.4 %2006: 6.5 %2007: 6.7 %2008: 5.3 %2009: 5.3 %2010: 5.4 %2011: 6 %2012: 6 %2013: 6.8 %2017: 2.5 %2018: 2.8 %2019: 3.1 %2020: 7.6 %2021: 3.3 %2022: 2.7 %2023: 2.8 %

Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database. Measured in %.

Analysis

The most recent figure for proportion of total government spending on essential services, health in Kenya is 2.8%, measured in 2023.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.5% on the previous year and down 58.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, proportion of total government spending on essential services, health in Kenya peaked at 7.6% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 2.5%, in 2017.

Kenya ranks 125th of 130 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 21 years of available data.

Proportion of total government spending on essential … health in Kenya, year by year

Annual values for Proportion of total government spending on essential services, health (%) in Kenya, 2000 to 2023.
Year % Change
2000 5.4% —
2001 5.4% -0.2%
2002 6.5% +20.4%
2003 6.0% -8.0%
2004 5.3% -12.3%
2005 6.4% +22.0%
2006 6.5% +0.4%
2007 6.7% +3.0%
2008 5.3% -20.0%
2009 5.3% -1.0%
2010 5.4% +2.7%
2011 6.0% +10.0%
2012 6.0% +0.1%
2013 6.8% +13.5%
2017 2.5% -63.3%
2018 2.8% +12.7%
2019 3.1% +11.7%
2020 7.6% +143.0%
2021 3.3% -56.1%
2022 2.7% -18.0%
2023 2.8% +2.5%

Kenya compared with similar countries

  • Kenya's 2.8% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 7.1%, 39% of the median. (22 countries reporting)
  • Kenya's 2.8% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 8.4%, 34% of the median. (17 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Proportion of total government spending on essential … health 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.

YearChange FromTo
2020 +143.0% 3.1% 7.6%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 5.9% 5.3% 6.7% 10
2010s 4.6% 2.5% 6.8% 7
2020s 4.1% 2.7% 7.6% 4

Countries ranked near Kenya

  1. 122 Nigeria 4.1% compare
  2. 123 Madagascar 3.7% compare
  3. 124 Maldives 2.9% compare
  4. 126 Lebanon 2.7% compare
  5. 127 India 1.7% compare
  6. 128 Republic of Korea 1.5% compare
  7. 128 South Korea 1.5% compare

See the full ranking of 134 places →

More health data for Kenya

All data for Kenya →

Frequently asked questions

What is proportion of total government spending on essential services, health in Kenya?
Proportion of total government spending on essential services, health in Kenya was 2.8% in 2023, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
What is the highest proportion of total government spending on essential services, health recorded in Kenya?
The highest recorded value was 7.6% in 2020.
What is the lowest proportion of total government spending on essential services, health recorded in Kenya?
The lowest recorded value was 2.5% in 2017.
How does Kenya rank for proportion of total government spending on essential services, health?
Kenya ranks 125th out of 130 countries with data for 2023.
Is proportion of total government spending on essential services, health rising or falling in Kenya?
Over the last ten years it is down 58.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
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, health (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Proportion of total government spending on essential services, health in Kenya. Statizoid, drawing on United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database. Retrieved 11 November 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/proportion-of-total-government-spending-on-essential-services-health-percent/kenya/

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About this data

Indicator
Proportion of total government spending on essential services, health (%)
Unit
%
Source
United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database
Licence
UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested)
Coverage
134 places, 2,474 data points, 2000–2025
Last refreshed