External debt stocks in Kenya
Kenya: External debt stocks was 35.0% in 2024. ▼ Falling
External debt stocks in Kenya, 1970–2024
Source: International Debt Statistics, World Bank (WB). Measured in % of GNI.
Analysis
Kenya recorded 35.0% for external debt stocks in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 13.4% on the previous year and up 25.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, external debt stocks in Kenya peaked at 131.9% in 1993 and was at its lowest, 21.4%, in 2008.
That places Kenya 82nd out of 121 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 55 years of available data.
External debt stocks in Kenya, year by year
| Year | % of GNI | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 30.2% | — |
| 1971 | 28.4% | -6.0% |
| 1972 | 28.0% | -1.3% |
| 1973 | 35.1% | +25.2% |
| 1974 | 40.2% | +14.5% |
| 1975 | 40.7% | +1.4% |
| 1976 | 44.8% | +10.0% |
| 1977 | 38.3% | -14.6% |
| 1978 | 42.5% | +11.1% |
| 1979 | 45.3% | +6.6% |
| 1980 | 48.1% | +6.2% |
| 1981 | 48.6% | +1.1% |
| 1982 | 54.5% | +12.1% |
| 1983 | 62.7% | +15.0% |
| 1984 | 58.6% | -6.4% |
| 1985 | 70.6% | +20.3% |
| 1986 | 65.8% | -6.8% |
| 1987 | 75.2% | +14.3% |
| 1988 | 72.3% | -3.8% |
| 1989 | 73.3% | +1.3% |
| 1990 | 86.0% | +17.4% |
| 1991 | 95.8% | +11.5% |
| 1992 | 87.8% | -8.4% |
| 1993 | 131.9% | +50.2% |
| 1994 | 105.0% | -20.4% |
| 1995 | 83.8% | -20.2% |
| 1996 | 57.6% | -31.2% |
| 1997 | 49.9% | -13.4% |
| 1998 | 48.9% | -2.2% |
| 1999 | 51.3% | +5.0% |
| 2000 | 48.9% | -4.7% |
| 2001 | 42.8% | -12.4% |
| 2002 | 46.8% | +9.3% |
| 2003 | 45.6% | -2.6% |
| 2004 | 43.4% | -4.8% |
| 2005 | 34.7% | -19.9% |
| 2006 | 26.1% | -24.8% |
| 2007 | 23.8% | -8.7% |
| 2008 | 21.4% | -9.9% |
| 2009 | 23.2% | +8.3% |
| 2010 | 22.3% | -4.0% |
| 2011 | 23.9% | +7.3% |
| 2012 | 23.6% | -1.5% |
| 2013 | 25.3% | +7.2% |
| 2014 | 27.9% | +10.4% |
| 2015 | 31.3% | +12.1% |
| 2016 | 28.5% | -8.9% |
| 2017 | 33.5% | +17.4% |
| 2018 | 34.6% | +3.4% |
| 2019 | 35.4% | +2.3% |
| 2020 | 38.0% | +7.5% |
| 2021 | 38.1% | +0.2% |
| 2022 | 36.9% | -3.2% |
| 2023 | 40.4% | +9.6% |
| 2024 | 35.0% | -13.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 37.3% | 28.0% | 45.3% | 10 |
| 1980s | 63.0% | 48.1% | 75.2% | 10 |
| 1990s | 79.8% | 48.9% | 131.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 35.7% | 21.4% | 48.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 28.6% | 22.3% | 35.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 37.7% | 35.0% | 40.4% | 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)
- Industry (including construction), value added (constant 2015 US$) 4.7 % change on previous year (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (constant 2015 US$) 0.138 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (constant 2015 US$) 326.09 constant 2015 US$ per person (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (constant LCU), annual 4.7 % change on previous year (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (constant LCU), per 14.02 constant LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (constant LCU), per 33,121 constant LCU per person (2025)
- Services, value added (current US$), annual growth rate 11.63 % change on previous year (2025)
- Services, value added (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.5505 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is external debt stocks in Kenya?
- External debt stocks in Kenya was 35.0% in 2024, according to International Debt Statistics, World Bank (WB).
- What is the highest external debt stocks recorded in Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 131.9% in 1993.
- What is the lowest external debt stocks recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 21.4% in 2008.
- How does Kenya rank for external debt stocks?
- Kenya ranks 82nd out of 121 countries with data for 2024.
- Is external debt stocks rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is up 25.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Kenya data come from?
- The figures come from International Debt Statistics, World Bank (WB), published as part of External debt stocks (% of GNI). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 55 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Total external debt stocks to gross national income. Total external debt is debt owed to nonresidents repayable in currency, goods, or services. Total external debt is the sum of public, publicly guaranteed, and private nonguaranteed long-term debt, use of IMF credit, and short-term debt. Short-term debt includes all debt having an original maturity of one year or less and interest in arrears on long-term debt. GNI (formerly GNP) is the sum of value added by all resident producers plus any product taxes (less subsidies) not included in the valuation of output plus net receipts of primary income (compensation of employees and property income) from abroad.