<PAGE> PAGE 1
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000 C000000 0000830160
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000 F000000 Y
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002 A000000 222 SOUTH RIVERSIDE PLAZA
002 B000000 CHICAGO
002 C000000 IL
002 D010000 60606
002 D020000 5808
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008 A000001 ZURICH KEMPER INVESTMENTS, INC.
008 B000001 A
008 C000001 801-6634
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008 D020001 IL
008 D030001 60606
008 D040001 5808
008 A000002 ZURICH INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT LIMITED
008 B000002 S
008 C000002 801-45306
008 D010002 LONDON
008 D050002 UK
008 D060002 EC4M 7RQ
012 A000001 ZURICH KEMPER SERVICE COMPANY
012 B000001 84-1713
012 C010001 KANSAS CITY
012 C020001 MO
012 C030001 64105
<PAGE> PAGE 2
013 A000001 ERNST & YOUNG LLP
013 B010001 CHICAGO
013 B020001 IL
013 B030001 60606
014 A000001 ZURICH KEMPER DISTRIBUTORS, INC.
014 B000001 8-47765
014 A000002 GRUNTAL SECURITIES, INC.
014 B000002 8-31022
014 A000003 THE GMS GROUP, INC.
014 B000003 8-23936
015 A000001 INVESTORS FIDUCIARY TRUST COMPANY
015 B000001 C
015 C010001 KANSAS CITY
015 C020001 MO
015 C030001 64105
015 E010001 X
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015 B000002 S
015 C010002 BOSTON
015 C020002 MA
015 C030002 02110
015 E010002 X
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015 B000003 C
015 C010003 BROOKLYN
015 C020003 NY
015 C030003 11245
015 E040003 X
018 000000 Y
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020 A000001 LIBRA INVESTMENTS, INC.
020 B000001 95-4326949
020 C000001 1
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022 C000001 37339
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022 C000002 36704
<PAGE> PAGE 3
022 D000002 2587
022 A000003 DONALDSON, LUFKIN & JENRETTE SECURITIES CORP.
022 B000003 13-2741729
022 C000003 9784
022 D000003 9255
022 A000004 MERRILL LYNCH, PIERCE, FENNER & SMITH INC.
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022 C000004 6332
022 D000004 12246
022 A000005 BT BROKERAGE CORPORATION
022 B000005 22-2608045
022 C000005 6803
022 D000005 6606
022 A000006 CHASE SECURITIES, INC.
022 B000006 13-3112953
022 C000006 9382
022 D000006 3755
022 A000007 MORGAN STANLEY & CO. INCORPORATED
022 B000007 13-2655998
022 C000007 6568
022 D000007 2449
022 A000008 BEAR, STEARNS & CO. INC.
022 B000008 13-3299429
022 C000008 3408
022 D000008 5145
022 A000009 CS FIRST BOSTON CORP.
022 B000009 13-5659485
022 C000009 4565
022 D000009 3209
022 A000010 GRANT CHESTER SECURITIES
022 B000010 UNKNOWN
022 C000010 2367
022 D000010 4996
023 C000000 148165
023 D000000 87543
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<PAGE> PAGE 4
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<PAGE> PAGE 5
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<PAGE> PAGE 6
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<PAGE> PAGE 7
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<PAGE> PAGE 8
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<PAGE> PAGE 9
086 E010000 0
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SIGNATURE JEROME L. DUFFY
TITLE TREASURER
<TABLE> <S> <C>
<ARTICLE> 6
<LEGEND>
THIS SCHEDULE CONTAINS SUMMARY FINANCIAL INFORMATION EXTRACTED FROM THE 1997
SEMIANNUAL REPORT TO SHAREHOLDERS AND IS QUALIFIED IN ITS ENTIRETY BY REFERENCE
TO SUCH FINANCIAL STATEMENTS.
</LEGEND>
<CIK> 0000830160
<NAME> KEMPER HIGH INCOME TRUST
<MULTIPLIER> 1000
<S> <C>
<PERIOD-TYPE> 6-MOS
<FISCAL-YEAR-END> NOV-30-1997
<PERIOD-START> DEC-01-1996
<PERIOD-END> MAY-31-1997
<INVESTMENTS-AT-COST> 226,360
<INVESTMENTS-AT-VALUE> 235,122
<RECEIVABLES> 8,771
<ASSETS-OTHER> 0
<OTHER-ITEMS-ASSETS> 0
<TOTAL-ASSETS> 243,893
<PAYABLE-FOR-SECURITIES> 3,461
<SENIOR-LONG-TERM-DEBT> 20,000
<OTHER-ITEMS-LIABILITIES> 2,362
<TOTAL-LIABILITIES> 25,823
<SENIOR-EQUITY> 0
<PAID-IN-CAPITAL-COMMON> 251,047
<SHARES-COMMON-STOCK> 23,473
<SHARES-COMMON-PRIOR> 23,328
<ACCUMULATED-NII-CURRENT> 3,116
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-NII> 0
<ACCUMULATED-NET-GAINS> (44,855)
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-GAINS> 0
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<NET-ASSETS> 218,070
<DIVIDEND-INCOME> 0
<INTEREST-INCOME> 12,473
<OTHER-INCOME> 0
<EXPENSES-NET> (1,713)
<NET-INVESTMENT-INCOME> 10,760
<REALIZED-GAINS-CURRENT> (1,904)
<APPREC-INCREASE-CURRENT> 3,735
<NET-CHANGE-FROM-OPS> 12,591
<EQUALIZATION> 0
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-INCOME> (10,582)
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-GAINS> 0
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OTHER> 0
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-SOLD> 0
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-REDEEMED> 0
<SHARES-REINVESTED> 145
<NET-CHANGE-IN-ASSETS> 3,421
<ACCUMULATED-NII-PRIOR> 2,938
<ACCUMULATED-GAINS-PRIOR> (42,951)
<OVERDISTRIB-NII-PRIOR> 0
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<GROSS-ADVISORY-FEES> 916
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<GROSS-EXPENSE> 1,713
<AVERAGE-NET-ASSETS> 215,779
<PER-SHARE-NAV-BEGIN> 9.20
<PER-SHARE-NII> .46
<PER-SHARE-GAIN-APPREC> .08
<PER-SHARE-DIVIDEND> (.45)
<PER-SHARE-DISTRIBUTIONS> 0
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<PER-SHARE-NAV-END> 9.29
<EXPENSE-RATIO> 1.55
<AVG-DEBT-OUTSTANDING> 0
<AVG-DEBT-PER-SHARE> 0
</TABLE>
