External balance on goods and services in Kenya
Kenya: External balance on goods and services was -6.0% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
External balance on goods and services in Kenya, 1960–2025
Source: Country official statistics, National Statistical Organizations and/or Central Banks. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
In 2025, external balance on goods and services in Kenya stood at -6.0%.
The figure is up 4.8% on the previous year and up 40.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, external balance on goods and services in Kenya peaked at 4.9% in 1993 and was at its lowest, -15.3%, in 2011.
That places Kenya 117th out of 193 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
External balance on goods and services in Kenya, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | -2.6% | — |
| 1961 | 1.6% | -161.7% |
| 1962 | 1.9% | +20.5% |
| 1963 | 3.1% | +60.5% |
| 1964 | 4.2% | +36.1% |
| 1965 | 0.7% | -83.2% |
| 1966 | 1.5% | +119.4% |
| 1967 | -0.9% | -159.0% |
| 1968 | 0.1% | -111.4% |
| 1969 | 1.4% | +1291.9% |
| 1970 | -0.8% | -158.2% |
| 1971 | -6.5% | +681.4% |
| 1972 | -2.1% | -67.3% |
| 1973 | -1.3% | -40.4% |
| 1974 | -7.2% | +466.3% |
| 1975 | -4.7% | -35.1% |
| 1976 | 0.7% | -114.8% |
| 1977 | 3.4% | +384.4% |
| 1978 | -9.8% | -389.8% |
| 1979 | -5.9% | -39.9% |
| 1980 | -6.4% | +9.0% |
| 1981 | -3.4% | -47.4% |
| 1982 | -4.9% | +45.8% |
| 1983 | -2.3% | -53.8% |
| 1984 | -5.3% | +134.4% |
| 1985 | -4.8% | -8.6% |
| 1986 | -4.0% | -16.6% |
| 1987 | -5.1% | +25.9% |
| 1988 | -5.2% | +2.8% |
| 1989 | -7.1% | +35.5% |
| 1990 | -5.6% | -20.5% |
| 1991 | -1.5% | -73.1% |
| 1992 | -0.4% | -72.9% |
| 1993 | 4.9% | -1306.7% |
| 1994 | 2.8% | -43.1% |
| 1995 | -6.6% | -333.2% |
| 1996 | -6.9% | +5.3% |
| 1997 | -8.7% | +25.7% |
| 1998 | -8.6% | -1.4% |
| 1999 | -6.5% | -23.7% |
| 2000 | -10.1% | +55.3% |
| 2001 | -10.1% | -0.5% |
| 2002 | -5.4% | -46.7% |
| 2003 | -6.0% | +10.8% |
| 2004 | -6.3% | +5.0% |
| 2005 | -7.5% | +19.2% |
| 2006 | -9.3% | +24.2% |
| 2007 | -10.1% | +8.5% |
| 2008 | -12.2% | +21.6% |
| 2009 | -8.4% | -31.4% |
| 2010 | -10.1% | +20.8% |
| 2011 | -15.3% | +50.8% |
| 2012 | -11.9% | -22.3% |
| 2013 | -11.9% | -0.1% |
| 2014 | -13.2% | +11.3% |
| 2015 | -10.1% | -23.9% |
| 2016 | -8.4% | -16.9% |
| 2017 | -10.5% | +25.8% |
| 2018 | -9.3% | -11.3% |
| 2019 | -8.9% | -4.6% |
| 2020 | -7.5% | -15.6% |
| 2021 | -8.8% | +16.8% |
| 2022 | -8.4% | -4.8% |
| 2023 | -7.5% | -10.2% |
| 2024 | -6.3% | -16.1% |
| 2025 | -6.0% | -4.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1.1% | -2.6% | 4.2% | 10 |
| 1970s | -3.4% | -9.8% | 3.4% | 10 |
| 1980s | -4.9% | -7.1% | -2.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | -3.7% | -8.7% | 4.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | -8.5% | -12.2% | -5.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | -11.0% | -15.3% | -8.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | -7.4% | -8.8% | -6.0% | 6 |
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)
- Final consumption expenditure (constant 2015 US$), per capita 1,669 constant 2015 US$ per person (2025)
- Gross national expenditure (current US$), annual growth rate 13.06 % change on previous year (2025)
- Gross national expenditure (current US$), per unit of GDP 1.05 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Gross national expenditure (current US$), per capita 2,484 current US$ per person (2025)
- Gross national expenditure (current LCU), annual growth rate 8.43 % change on previous year (2025)
- Gross national expenditure (current LCU), per unit of GDP 135.91 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Gross national expenditure (current LCU), per capita 321,132 current LCU per person (2025)
- Gross national expenditure (constant 2015 US$), annual growth rate 5.27 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is external balance on goods and services in Kenya?
- External balance on goods and services in Kenya was -6.0% in 2025, according to Country official statistics, National Statistical Organizations and/or Central Banks.
- What is the highest external balance on goods and services recorded in Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 4.9% in 1993.
- What is the lowest external balance on goods and services recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was -15.3% in 2011.
- How does Kenya rank for external balance on goods and services?
- Kenya ranks 117th out of 193 countries with data for 2025.
- Is external balance on goods and services rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is up 40.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Kenya data come from?
- The figures come from Country official statistics, National Statistical Organizations and/or Central Banks, published as part of External balance on goods and services (% of GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
The balance of international trade in goods and services is the difference between the exports and imports of goods and services. 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.