Government spending as share of GDP in Kenya
Kenya: Government spending as share of GDP was 23.3% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Government spending as share of GDP in Kenya, 1982–2024
Source: International Monetary Fund (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
The most recent figure for government spending as share of gdp in Kenya is 23.3%, measured in 2024.
That represents a change of up 2.5% on the previous year and down 0.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, government spending as share of gdp in Kenya peaked at 25.4% in 2016 and was at its lowest, 13.7%, in 1999.
That places Kenya 102nd out of 151 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 43 years of available data.
Government spending as share of GDP in Kenya, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1982 | 16.2% | — |
| 1983 | 14.6% | -9.6% |
| 1984 | 14.9% | +1.7% |
| 1985 | 15.6% | +4.8% |
| 1986 | 15.3% | -1.9% |
| 1987 | 15.5% | +1.2% |
| 1988 | 15.9% | +3.0% |
| 1989 | 16.3% | +2.4% |
| 1990 | 17.2% | +5.3% |
| 1991 | 16.4% | -4.3% |
| 1992 | 17.6% | +7.1% |
| 1993 | 18.9% | +7.5% |
| 1994 | 18.8% | -0.7% |
| 1995 | 17.3% | -7.8% |
| 1996 | 15.2% | -12.2% |
| 1997 | 15.6% | +2.2% |
| 1998 | 15.3% | -1.3% |
| 1999 | 13.7% | -10.8% |
| 2000 | 14.1% | +3.0% |
| 2001 | 14.9% | +6.0% |
| 2002 | 15.7% | +4.8% |
| 2003 | 16.0% | +2.3% |
| 2004 | 15.4% | -3.5% |
| 2005 | 16.2% | +5.2% |
| 2006 | 17.3% | +6.5% |
| 2007 | 18.1% | +4.4% |
| 2008 | 18.9% | +4.6% |
| 2009 | 20.3% | +7.2% |
| 2010 | 21.5% | +6.3% |
| 2011 | 20.1% | -6.6% |
| 2012 | 22.1% | +9.8% |
| 2013 | 23.2% | +5.1% |
| 2014 | 23.4% | +0.8% |
| 2015 | 23.8% | +1.7% |
| 2016 | 25.4% | +6.4% |
| 2017 | 25.2% | -0.6% |
| 2018 | 24.5% | -2.9% |
| 2019 | 24.4% | -0.3% |
| 2020 | 24.8% | +1.6% |
| 2021 | 24.0% | -3.2% |
| 2022 | 23.2% | -3.6% |
| 2023 | 22.7% | -2.0% |
| 2024 | 23.3% | +2.5% |
Kenya compared with similar countries
- Kenya's 23.3% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 23.3%, 1.0× the median. (37 countries reporting)
- Kenya's 23.3% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 20.6%, 1.1× the median. (33 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 15.5% | 14.6% | 16.3% | 8 |
| 1990s | 16.6% | 13.7% | 18.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 16.7% | 14.1% | 20.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 23.4% | 20.1% | 25.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 23.6% | 22.7% | 24.8% | 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)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), gaps 417.66 million BoP, current US$ (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0.0035 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 7.4 BoP, current US$ per person (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), gaps filled 463.44 million BoP, current US$ (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), annual -8.77 % change on previous year (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0.0038 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 8.21 BoP, current US$ per person (2024)
- Total reserves (includes gold, current US$), annual growth rate 23.12 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is government spending as share of gdp in Kenya?
- Government spending as share of gdp in Kenya was 23.3% in 2024, according to International Monetary Fund (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest government spending as share of gdp recorded in Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 25.4% in 2016.
- What is the lowest government spending as share of gdp recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 13.7% in 1999.
- How does Kenya rank for government spending as share of gdp?
- Kenya ranks 102nd out of 151 countries with data for 2024.
- Is government spending as share of gdp rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Kenya data come from?
- The figures come from International Monetary Fund (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Government spending as share of GDP. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Sum of all the money spent by the government on goods and services, as a percentage of GDP. It includes interest paid on government debt.