External debt as a share of gni in Kenya

Kenya: External debt as a share of gni was 40.42 in 2023. ▼ Falling

Latest (2023)
40.42
Change on year
up 9.6%
World rank
70th
of 118 countries
All-time high
48.88
in 2000
All-time low
21.45
in 2008
Years of data
24
2000–2023

External debt as a share of gni in Kenya, 2000–2023

010203040502000201120232000: 48.92001: 42.82002: 46.82003: 45.62004: 43.42005: 34.72006: 26.12007: 23.82008: 21.42009: 23.22010: 22.32011: 23.92012: 23.62013: 25.32014: 27.92015: 31.32016: 28.52017: 33.52018: 34.62019: 35.42020: 382021: 38.12022: 36.92023: 40.4

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

Kenya recorded 40.42 for external debt as a share of gni in 2023.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 9.6% on the previous year and up 59.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, external debt as a share of gni in Kenya peaked at 48.88 in 2000 and was at its lowest, 21.45, in 2008.

Kenya ranks 70th of 118 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 24 years of available data.

External debt as a share of gni in Kenya, year by year

Annual values for External debt as a share of gni in Kenya, 2000 to 2023.
Year Value Change
2000 48.88
2001 42.8 -12.4%
2002 46.8 +9.3%
2003 45.56 -2.6%
2004 43.35 -4.9%
2005 34.71 -19.9%
2006 26.09 -24.8%
2007 23.82 -8.7%
2008 21.45 -9.9%
2009 23.22 +8.3%
2010 22.3 -4.0%
2011 23.93 +7.3%
2012 23.58 -1.5%
2013 25.28 +7.2%
2014 27.92 +10.4%
2015 31.31 +12.1%
2016 28.53 -8.9%
2017 33.49 +17.4%
2018 34.61 +3.3%
2019 35.4 +2.3%
2020 38.05 +7.5%
2021 38.1 +0.1%
2022 36.88 -3.2%
2023 40.42 +9.6%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 35.67 21.45 48.88 10
2010s 28.64 22.3 35.4 10
2020s 38.36 36.88 40.42 4

Countries ranked near Kenya

  1. 67 Gabon 41.19 compare
  2. 68 Zimbabwe 40.85 compare
  3. 69 Uganda 40.58 compare
  4. 71 Honduras 40.22 compare
  5. 72 Pakistan 39.39 compare
  6. 73 Burundi 39.38 compare

See the full ranking of 118 places →

More economy & growth data for Kenya

All data for Kenya →

Frequently asked questions

What is external debt as a share of gni in Kenya?
External debt as a share of gni in Kenya was 40.42 in 2023, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest external debt as a share of gni recorded in Kenya?
The highest recorded value was 48.88 in 2000.
What is the lowest external debt as a share of gni recorded in Kenya?
The lowest recorded value was 21.45 in 2008.
How does Kenya rank for external debt as a share of gni?
Kenya ranks 70th out of 118 countries with data for 2023.
Is external debt as a share of gni rising or falling in Kenya?
Over the last ten years it is up 59.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Kenya data come from?
The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of External debt as a share of gni. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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External debt as a share of gni in Kenya. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 24 August 2026, from https://economy.statizoid.com/stat/external-debt-as-a-share-of-gni/kenya/

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About this data

Indicator
External debt as a share of gni
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
118 places, 2,741 data points, 2000–2023
Last refreshed