Compensation of employees in Kenya

Kenya: Compensation of employees was 18.4% in 2023. ▼ Falling

Latest (2023)
18.4%
Change on year
down 12.0%
World rank
106th
of 155 countries
All-time high
36.2%
in 2019
All-time low
18.4%
in 2023
Years of data
10
2014–2023

Compensation of employees in Kenya, 2014–2023

0102030402014201820232014: 35.6 % of expense2015: 32.7 % of expense2016: 30.1 % of expense2017: 25.6 % of expense2018: 28.7 % of expense2019: 36.2 % of expense2020: 34.4 % of expense2021: 22.8 % of expense2022: 20.9 % of expense2023: 18.4 % of expense

Source: Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of expense.

Analysis

The most recent figure for compensation of employees in Kenya is 18.4%, measured in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 10 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 12.0% on the previous year and down 48.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, compensation of employees in Kenya peaked at 36.2% in 2019 and was at its lowest, 18.4%, in 2023.

Kenya ranks 106th of 155 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

Compensation of employees in Kenya, year by year

Annual values for Compensation of employees (% of expense) in Kenya, 2014 to 2023.
Year % of expense Change
2014 35.6%
2015 32.7% -7.9%
2016 30.1% -8.0%
2017 25.6% -15.1%
2018 28.7% +12.3%
2019 36.2% +25.9%
2020 34.4% -5.0%
2021 22.8% -33.7%
2022 20.9% -8.2%
2023 18.4% -12.0%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 31.5% 25.6% 36.2% 6
2020s 24.1% 18.4% 34.4% 4

Countries ranked near Kenya

  1. 103 Sri Lanka 18.9% compare
  2. 104 Singapore 18.8% compare
  3. 105 Greece 18.4% compare
  4. 107 Bulgaria 18.0% compare
  5. 108 France 17.6% compare
  6. 109 Tanzania, United Republic of 17.5% compare

See the full ranking of 196 places →

More public sector data for Kenya

All data for Kenya →

Frequently asked questions

What is compensation of employees in Kenya?
Compensation of employees in Kenya was 18.4% in 2023, according to Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
What is the highest compensation of employees recorded in Kenya?
The highest recorded value was 36.2% in 2019.
What is the lowest compensation of employees recorded in Kenya?
The lowest recorded value was 18.4% in 2023.
How does Kenya rank for compensation of employees?
Kenya ranks 106th out of 155 countries with data for 2023.
Is compensation of employees rising or falling in Kenya?
Over the last ten years it is down 48.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Kenya data come from?
The figures come from Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Compensation of employees (% of expense). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Compensation of employees in Kenya. Statizoid, drawing on Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Retrieved 01 September 2026, from https://public-sector.statizoid.com/stat/compensation-of-employees-percent-of-expense/kenya/

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About this data

Indicator
Compensation of employees (% of expense)
Unit
% of expense
Source
Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
196 places, 5,286 data points, 1972–2024
Last refreshed

Compensation of employees is defined as the total remuneration, in cash or in kind, payable by an enterprise to an employee in return for work done by the latter during the accounting period. This indicator is expressed as percentage of total expenses which is any decrease in net worth resulting from a transaction.