External debt stocks, total (DOD, current US$) in Kenya
Kenya: External debt stocks, total (DOD, current US$) was 46.31 billion DOD, current US$ in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
46.31 billion DOD, current US$
Change on year
up 7.6%
World rank
32nd
of 123 countries
All-time high
46.31 billion DOD, current US$
in 2025
All-time low
477.54 million DOD, current US$
in 1970
Years of data
56
1970–2025
External debt stocks, total in Kenya, 1970–2025
Source: International Debt Statistics, World Bank (WB). Measured in DOD, current US$.
Analysis
In 2025, external debt stocks, total in Kenya stood at 46.31 billion DOD, current US$. That is the highest value across all 56 years on record.
The figure is up 7.6% on the previous year and up 134.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, external debt stocks, total in Kenya peaked at 46.31 billion DOD, current US$ in 2025 and was at its lowest, 477.54 million DOD, current US$, in 1970.
Kenya ranks 32nd of 123 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
External debt stocks, total (DOD, current US$) in Kenya, year by year
| Year | DOD, current US$ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 477.54 million DOD, current US$ | — |
| 1971 | 497.89 million DOD, current US$ | +4.3% |
| 1972 | 581.16 million DOD, current US$ | +16.7% |
| 1973 | 844.72 million DOD, current US$ | +45.3% |
| 1974 | 1.15 billion DOD, current US$ | +36.5% |
| 1975 | 1.29 billion DOD, current US$ | +11.9% |
| 1976 | 1.49 billion DOD, current US$ | +15.7% |
| 1977 | 1.66 billion DOD, current US$ | +11.1% |
| 1978 | 2.17 billion DOD, current US$ | +31.0% |
| 1979 | 2.72 billion DOD, current US$ | +25.2% |
| 1980 | 3.39 billion DOD, current US$ | +24.5% |
| 1981 | 3.23 billion DOD, current US$ | -4.7% |
| 1982 | 3.37 billion DOD, current US$ | +4.3% |
| 1983 | 3.63 billion DOD, current US$ | +7.7% |
| 1984 | 3.51 billion DOD, current US$ | -3.2% |
| 1985 | 4.18 billion DOD, current US$ | +19.1% |
| 1986 | 4.60 billion DOD, current US$ | +10.1% |
| 1987 | 5.78 billion DOD, current US$ | +25.6% |
| 1988 | 5.81 billion DOD, current US$ | +0.4% |
| 1989 | 5.89 billion DOD, current US$ | +1.4% |
| 1990 | 7.06 billion DOD, current US$ | +19.8% |
| 1991 | 7.45 billion DOD, current US$ | +5.6% |
| 1992 | 6.90 billion DOD, current US$ | -7.5% |
| 1993 | 7.11 billion DOD, current US$ | +3.1% |
| 1994 | 7.12 billion DOD, current US$ | +0.2% |
| 1995 | 7.31 billion DOD, current US$ | +2.6% |
| 1996 | 6.81 billion DOD, current US$ | -6.8% |
| 1997 | 6.47 billion DOD, current US$ | -5.1% |
| 1998 | 6.82 billion DOD, current US$ | +5.5% |
| 1999 | 6.52 billion DOD, current US$ | -4.4% |
| 2000 | 6.15 billion DOD, current US$ | -5.8% |
| 2001 | 5.50 billion DOD, current US$ | -10.6% |
| 2002 | 6.10 billion DOD, current US$ | +10.9% |
| 2003 | 6.72 billion DOD, current US$ | +10.2% |
| 2004 | 6.92 billion DOD, current US$ | +3.0% |
| 2005 | 6.50 billion DOD, current US$ | -6.0% |
| 2006 | 6.72 billion DOD, current US$ | +3.4% |
| 2007 | 7.58 billion DOD, current US$ | +12.8% |
| 2008 | 7.69 billion DOD, current US$ | +1.5% |
| 2009 | 8.59 billion DOD, current US$ | +11.6% |
| 2010 | 8.89 billion DOD, current US$ | +3.5% |
| 2011 | 10.04 billion DOD, current US$ | +13.0% |
| 2012 | 11.83 billion DOD, current US$ | +17.8% |
| 2013 | 13.78 billion DOD, current US$ | +16.4% |
| 2014 | 16.91 billion DOD, current US$ | +22.8% |
| 2015 | 19.79 billion DOD, current US$ | +17.0% |
| 2016 | 21.07 billion DOD, current US$ | +6.5% |
| 2017 | 26.96 billion DOD, current US$ | +28.0% |
| 2018 | 31.44 billion DOD, current US$ | +16.6% |
| 2019 | 34.98 billion DOD, current US$ | +11.2% |
| 2020 | 38.05 billion DOD, current US$ | +8.8% |
| 2021 | 41.25 billion DOD, current US$ | +8.4% |
| 2022 | 41.61 billion DOD, current US$ | +0.9% |
| 2023 | 42.98 billion DOD, current US$ | +3.3% |
| 2024 | 43.02 billion DOD, current US$ | +0.1% |
| 2025 | 46.31 billion DOD, current US$ | +7.6% |
Kenya compared with similar countries
- Kenya's 46.31 billion DOD, current US$ is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 16.63 billion DOD, current US$, 2.8× the median. (43 countries reporting)
- Kenya's 46.31 billion DOD, current US$ is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 7.71 billion DOD, current US$, 6.0× the median. (45 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 1.29 billion DOD, current US$ | 477.54 million DOD, current US$ | 2.72 billion DOD, current US$ | 10 |
| 1980s | 4.34 billion DOD, current US$ | 3.23 billion DOD, current US$ | 5.89 billion DOD, current US$ | 10 |
| 1990s | 6.96 billion DOD, current US$ | 6.47 billion DOD, current US$ | 7.45 billion DOD, current US$ | 10 |
| 2000s | 6.84 billion DOD, current US$ | 5.50 billion DOD, current US$ | 8.59 billion DOD, current US$ | 10 |
| 2010s | 19.57 billion DOD, current US$ | 8.89 billion DOD, current US$ | 34.98 billion DOD, current US$ | 10 |
| 2020s | 42.20 billion DOD, current US$ | 38.05 billion DOD, current US$ | 46.31 billion DOD, current US$ | 6 |
Countries ranked near Kenya
- 29 Dominican Republic 56.28 billion DOD, current US$ compare
- 30 Jordan 50.52 billion DOD, current US$ compare
- 31 Bulgaria 47.21 billion DOD, current US$ compare
- 33 Senegal 45.40 billion DOD, current US$ compare
- 34 Cote d'Ivoire 45.27 billion DOD, current US$ compare
- 35 Tunisia 41.51 billion DOD, current US$ compare
More economy & growth data for Kenya
- Real gdp growth, annual growth rate -17.4 % change on previous year (2024)
- 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)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, annual growth rate -59.19 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per capita 2.42 units per person (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, annual growth rate -61.14 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per unit of GDP 0.0007 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per capita 1.77 units per person (2025)
- IMF holdings of currency, US dollar, annual growth rate 3.56 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is external debt stocks, total in Kenya?
- External debt stocks, total in Kenya was 46.31 billion DOD, current US$ in 2025, according to International Debt Statistics, World Bank (WB).
- What is the highest external debt stocks, total recorded in Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 46.31 billion DOD, current US$ in 2025.
- What is the lowest external debt stocks, total recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 477.54 million DOD, current US$ in 1970.
- How does Kenya rank for external debt stocks, total?
- Kenya ranks 32nd out of 123 countries with data for 2025.
- Is external debt stocks, total rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is up 134.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Kenya data come from?
- The figures come from International Debt Statistics, World Bank (WB), published as part of External debt stocks, total (DOD, current US$). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 56 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
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. Data are in current U.S. dollars.