Kenya vs South Africa: Spending by international visitors while visiting a country as a share of GDP
Kenya
1.6%
in 2023
South Africa
1.7%
in 2024
Kenya rank
128th
South Africa rank
126th
Spending by international visitors while visiting a country as a share of GDP over time
- Kenya
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 1.7% against 1.6% in Kenya, a difference of 0.1%.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 29 shared years of data; in 1995 it was Kenya ahead.
Kenya ranks 128th and South Africa ranks 126th of 191 countries.
Kenya has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Kenya | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 8.3% | 2.0% | 6.3% | Kenya |
| 2000s | 4.2% | 2.8% | 1.4% | Kenya |
| 2010s | 2.6% | 2.5% | 0.1% | Kenya |
| 2020s | 1.3% | 1.0% | 0.2% | Kenya |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher spending by international visitors while visiting a country as a share of gdp, Kenya or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 1.7% against 1.6% in Kenya as of 2024.
- What is the difference in spending by international visitors while visiting a country as a share of gdp between Kenya and South Africa?
- 0.1%, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Kenya and South Africa?
- 29 years are reported by both, from 1995 to 2023.
- How do Kenya and South Africa rank globally for spending by international visitors while visiting a country as a share of gdp?
- Kenya ranks 128th and South Africa ranks 126th of 191 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UN Tourism (2025); National statistical organizations and central banks, OECD national accounts, and World Bank staff estimates (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Spending by international visitors while visiting a country as a share of GDP. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Money received by the destination country from foreign visitors, including spending on accommodation, food, transport, entertainment, shopping, and fares paid to the country’s own airlines, as a share of, as a share of GDP.