Expense in Kenya

Kenya: Expense was 27.8% in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
27.8%
Change on year
up 11.1%
World rank
68th
of 157 countries
All-time high
27.8%
in 2023
All-time low
18.8%
in 2019
Years of data
10
2014–2023

Expense in Kenya, 2014–2023

01020302014201820232014: 20.5 % of GDP2015: 20.7 % of GDP2016: 22.2 % of GDP2017: 25.1 % of GDP2018: 23.6 % of GDP2019: 18.8 % of GDP2020: 20 % of GDP2021: 23.6 % of GDP2022: 25.1 % of GDP2023: 27.8 % of GDP

Source: Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of GDP.

Analysis

In 2023, expense in Kenya stood at 27.8%. That is the highest value across all 10 years on record.

The figure is up 11.1% on the previous year and up 35.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, expense in Kenya peaked at 27.8% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 18.8%, in 2019.

That places Kenya 68th out of 157 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.

Expense in Kenya, year by year

Annual values for Expense (% of GDP) in Kenya, 2014 to 2023.
Year % of GDP Change
2014 20.5%
2015 20.7% +0.9%
2016 22.2% +7.1%
2017 25.1% +13.2%
2018 23.6% -5.9%
2019 18.8% -20.5%
2020 20.0% +6.4%
2021 23.6% +18.0%
2022 25.1% +6.2%
2023 27.8% +11.1%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 21.8% 18.8% 25.1% 6
2020s 24.1% 20.0% 27.8% 4

Countries ranked near Kenya

  1. 65 Belarus 28.5% compare
  2. 66 Republic of Korea 28.3% compare
  3. 67 El Salvador 27.9% compare
  4. 69 Fiji 27.8% compare
  5. 70 Iraq 27.6% compare
  6. 71 Australia 27.6% compare

See the full ranking of 183 places →

More economy & growth data for Kenya

All data for Kenya →

Frequently asked questions

What is expense in Kenya?
Expense in Kenya was 27.8% in 2023, according to Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
What is the highest expense recorded in Kenya?
The highest recorded value was 27.8% in 2023.
What is the lowest expense recorded in Kenya?
The lowest recorded value was 18.8% in 2019.
How does Kenya rank for expense?
Kenya ranks 68th out of 157 countries with data for 2023.
Is expense rising or falling in Kenya?
Over the last ten years it is up 35.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Kenya data come from?
The figures come from Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Expense (% of GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Expense in Kenya. Statizoid, drawing on Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Retrieved 24 August 2026, from https://economy.statizoid.com/stat/expense-percent-of-gdp/kenya/

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About this data

Indicator
Expense (% of GDP)
Unit
% of GDP
Source
Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
183 places, 5,211 data points, 1972–2024
Last refreshed

Expense is a decrease in net worth resulting from a transaction. 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.