Kenya vs South Africa: Imports of goods and services
Imports of goods and services over time
- Kenya
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 1.1% against 0.9% in Kenya, a difference of 0.2%.
That makes South Africa's figure about 1.3 times Kenya's.
The two have swapped places 37 times across 65 shared years of data; in 1961 it was Kenya ahead.
Kenya ranks 140th and South Africa ranks 137th of 178 countries.
Across the 7 decades both report, Kenya averaged higher in 5 and South Africa in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Kenya | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 4.5% | 7.0% | 2.5% | South Africa |
| 1970s | 3.7% | 1.5% | 2.2% | Kenya |
| 1980s | 1.4% | 2.8% | 1.4% | South Africa |
| 1990s | 8.0% | 4.9% | 3.1% | Kenya |
| 2000s | 8.8% | 5.8% | 3.0% | Kenya |
| 2010s | 4.2% | 3.6% | 0.5% | Kenya |
| 2020s | 6.1% | 1.0% | 5.1% | Kenya |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher imports of goods and services, Kenya or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 1.1% against 0.9% in Kenya as of 2025.
- What is the difference in imports of goods and services between Kenya and South Africa?
- 0.2%, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Kenya and South Africa?
- 65 years are reported by both, from 1961 to 2025.
- How do Kenya and South Africa rank globally for imports of goods and services?
- Kenya ranks 140th and South Africa ranks 137th of 178 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Country official statistics, National Statistical Offices (NSOs), published as Imports of goods and services (annual % growth). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Imports of goods includes change in the economic ownership of goods from non-residents to residents of the compiling economy, irrespective of physical movement of goods across national borders. Imports of services includes services provided by non-residents to residents. This indicator denotes the percentage change over each previous year of the constant price (base year 2015) series in United States dollars.