Current account balance in Kenya
Kenya: Current account balance was -1.3% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Current account balance in Kenya, 1975–2024
Source: Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
In 2024, current account balance in Kenya stood at -1.3%.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 49.4% on the previous year and up 86.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, current account balance in Kenya peaked at 0.9% in 2003 and was at its lowest, -18.7%, in 1998.
Kenya ranks 100th of 199 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Current account balance in Kenya, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | -6.6% | — |
| 1976 | -3.4% | -48.3% |
| 1977 | 0.8% | -124.0% |
| 1978 | -12.4% | -1620.9% |
| 1979 | -7.9% | -36.4% |
| 1980 | -12.1% | +52.6% |
| 1981 | -8.2% | -32.1% |
| 1982 | -4.7% | -42.1% |
| 1983 | -0.8% | -83.4% |
| 1984 | -2.0% | +159.3% |
| 1985 | -1.9% | -8.5% |
| 1986 | -0.6% | -66.9% |
| 1987 | -6.3% | +913.5% |
| 1988 | -5.6% | -10.4% |
| 1989 | -7.1% | +26.4% |
| 1990 | -6.1% | -13.7% |
| 1991 | -2.6% | -57.4% |
| 1992 | -2.2% | -16.1% |
| 1993 | -4.6% | +107.5% |
| 1994 | -6.3% | +37.9% |
| 1995 | -17.4% | +177.8% |
| 1996 | -8.0% | -54.3% |
| 1997 | -13.7% | +71.1% |
| 1998 | -18.7% | +36.8% |
| 1999 | -18.3% | -1.8% |
| 2000 | -1.6% | -91.4% |
| 2001 | -2.5% | +57.2% |
| 2002 | -0.9% | -63.7% |
| 2003 | 0.9% | -199.3% |
| 2004 | -0.8% | -192.1% |
| 2005 | -1.3% | +64.5% |
| 2006 | -2.0% | +46.8% |
| 2007 | -3.2% | +63.4% |
| 2008 | -5.5% | +71.0% |
| 2009 | -4.0% | -27.8% |
| 2010 | -5.2% | +30.8% |
| 2011 | -8.1% | +56.2% |
| 2012 | -7.5% | -8.3% |
| 2013 | -7.9% | +5.0% |
| 2014 | -9.3% | +19.0% |
| 2015 | -6.3% | -32.5% |
| 2016 | -5.4% | -14.4% |
| 2017 | -7.0% | +29.6% |
| 2018 | -5.4% | -22.7% |
| 2019 | -5.2% | -3.2% |
| 2020 | -3.3% | -37.6% |
| 2021 | -4.6% | +40.7% |
| 2022 | -4.2% | -8.7% |
| 2023 | -2.5% | -39.4% |
| 2024 | -1.3% | -49.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | -5.9% | -12.4% | 0.8% | 5 |
| 1980s | -4.9% | -12.1% | -0.6% | 10 |
| 1990s | -9.8% | -18.7% | -2.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | -2.1% | -5.5% | 0.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | -6.7% | -9.3% | -5.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | -3.2% | -4.6% | -1.3% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Kenya
More economy & growth data for Kenya
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 3.28 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 5.26 Percent per annum (2029)
- Manufacturing, value added (constant LCU), per capita 15,507 constant LCU per person (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current US$), annual 12.53 % change on previous year (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current US$), per 0.1627 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current US$), per 384.5 current US$ per person (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current LCU), annual 7.93 % change on previous year (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current LCU), per 21.04 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current LCU), per 49,717 current LCU per person (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (constant 2015 US$) 4.7 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is current account balance in Kenya?
- Current account balance in Kenya was -1.3% in 2024, according to Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest current account balance recorded in Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 0.9% in 2003.
- What is the lowest current account balance recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was -18.7% in 1998.
- How does Kenya rank for current account balance?
- Kenya ranks 100th out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is current account balance rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is up 86.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Kenya data come from?
- The figures come from Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Current account balance (% of GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Balance of current transactions (transactions in goods and services, earned income and transfer income) between residents and non-residents. The term current account balance is used in the external accounts and is expressed from the perspective of resident units. The term current external balance is used in the national accounts and is expressed from the perspective of the non-resident units, and therefore with the opposite sign. This indicator is expressed as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) which is the total income earned through the production of goods and services in an economic territory during an accounting period.