Kenya
Last updated December 1, 2025
Composite GEFRI Score
Severely underprepared
Kenya is severely underprepared (25th percentile worldwide). Key structural conditions limit capacity to plan, implement, and sustain forward-looking reforms. Higher scores indicate a system that is better prepared to anticipate and shape the future of learning.
- Global percentile
- 25th
- Global rank
- #133
- Regional rank
- #12
- Viewing data for
Country profile
Kenya trails global peers in Infrastructure (44, 26th percentile), Human Capital (36, 24th percentile), and School Access and Gender Parity (0, 7th percentile). A coordinated reform effort is needed to strengthen education futures readiness.
Uneven scores across dimensions highlight areas that need targeted coordination. Limited electricity or internet coverage still constrains classrooms, preventing large-scale digital instruction. Literacy or tertiary enrollment gaps thin the talent pipeline and limit the country’s capacity to develop future-ready skills.
Sparse R&D investment and a small research workforce slow experimentation and delay new ideas from reaching learners. Policy execution and regulatory capacity remain weak, leaving reforms fragmented and hard to sustain. Gender parity across secondary pathways reflects sustained commitment to equitable participation.
Governance and Innovation present a near-term leapfrog opportunity: performance is just below the global average, backed by enough observed data to support forward planning. Regionally, School Access and Gender Parity lags peers the most, signalling where investment could have the highest impact.
Note: Several indicators use imputed values. Policymakers and planners should validate results further before committing to major initiatives.
Key insights
- Falls below many peers at the 25th percentile.
- Places 133rd worldwide.
- Holds a regional position of 12th within Sub-Saharan Africa .
- Scores range from Infrastructure (44.1) to Access & Parity (0.0), reflecting variation across dimensions.
- Trails regional peers most clearly in Access & Parity.
Regional peers: Sub-Saharan Africa
Composite GEFRI score
| Global rank | Regional rank | Country | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 64 | 1 | South Africa | 57.14 |
| 65 | 2 | Mauritius | 56.84 |
| — | — | SeychellesMicrostate | 55.82 |
| 72 | 3 | Botswana | 55.57 |
| 108 | 4 | Namibia | 43.84 |
| 110 | 5 | Ghana | 41.23 |
| 114 | 6 | Cabo Verde | 39.72 |
| 120 | 7 | Eswatini | 37.49 |
| 127 | 8 | Gabon | 34.54 |
| 128 | 9 | Equatorial Guinea | 34.53 |
| 130 | 10 | Senegal | 33.52 |
| 131 | 11 | Rwanda | 33.46 |
| 133 | 12 | Kenya | 32.24 |
| 135 | 13 | Cote d'Ivoire | 31.84 |
| 137 | 14 | Lesotho | 31.43 |
| 139 | 15 | Gambia, The | 30.95 |
| — | — | Sao Tome and PrincipeFCSMicrostate | 29.38 |
| 142 | 16 | Zambia | 28.60 |
| 143 | 17 | Tanzania | 28.42 |
| 144 | 18 | Benin | 28.31 |
| 146 | 19 | Togo | 28.16 |
| 147 | 20 | Angola | 27.99 |
| 148 | 21 | ZimbabweFCS | 27.68 |
| 150 | 22 | CameroonFCS | 27.47 |
| 151 | 23 | Mauritania | 25.86 |
| 152 | 24 | Sierra Leone | 25.59 |
| 153 | 25 | ComorosFCS | 25.31 |
| 154 | 26 | MozambiqueFCS | 24.91 |
| 155 | 27 | Congo, Rep.FCS | 24.74 |
| 157 | 28 | NigeriaFCS | 24.13 |
| 158 | 29 | Madagascar | 23.50 |
| 159 | 30 | Malawi | 23.45 |
| 160 | 31 | EthiopiaFCS | 23.38 |
| 161 | 32 | Burkina FasoFCS | 23.24 |
| 163 | 33 | MaliFCS | 23.05 |
| 164 | 34 | Guinea | 22.80 |
| 165 | 35 | Uganda | 22.62 |
| 166 | 36 | Guinea-BissauFCS | 21.96 |
| 167 | 37 | Liberia | 21.24 |
| 168 | 38 | NigerFCS | 20.29 |
| 169 | 39 | SudanFCS | 20.02 |
| 170 | 40 | BurundiFCS | 18.76 |
| 171 | 41 | EritreaFCS | 18.47 |
| 172 | 42 | Congo, Dem. Rep.FCS | 18.44 |
| 174 | 43 | ChadFCS | 15.58 |
| 175 | 44 | South SudanFCS | 15.30 |
| 176 | 45 | Somalia, Fed. Rep.FCS | 14.87 |
| 177 | 46 | Central African RepublicFCS | 13.56 |