Value of exported goods as a share of GDP in Kenya
Kenya: Value of exported goods as a share of GDP was 11.9% in 2014. ▼ Falling
Latest (2014)
11.9%
Change on year
down 7.7%
World rank
161st
of 193 countries
All-time high
29.1%
in 1977
All-time low
11.9%
in 2014
Years of data
60
1955–2014
Value of exported goods as a share of GDP in Kenya, 1955–2014
Source: Fouquin and Hugot (2016) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Kenya recorded 11.9% for value of exported goods as a share of gdp in 2014. That is the lowest value across all 60 years on record.
That represents a change of down 7.7% on the previous year and down 40.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, value of exported goods as a share of gdp in Kenya peaked at 29.1% in 1977 and was at its lowest, 11.9%, in 2014.
Kenya ranks 161st of 193 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 60 years of available data.
Value of exported goods as a share of GDP in Kenya, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1955 | 17.0% | — |
| 1956 | 16.6% | -2.1% |
| 1957 | 15.0% | -9.8% |
| 1958 | 15.3% | +1.9% |
| 1959 | 17.4% | +14.0% |
| 1960 | 21.6% | +24.1% |
| 1961 | 20.7% | -3.9% |
| 1962 | 18.2% | -12.2% |
| 1963 | 22.1% | +21.3% |
| 1964 | 22.4% | +1.2% |
| 1965 | 22.9% | +2.5% |
| 1966 | 22.6% | -1.4% |
| 1967 | 19.7% | -13.0% |
| 1968 | 19.3% | -2.2% |
| 1969 | 18.9% | -1.9% |
| 1970 | 19.5% | +3.0% |
| 1971 | 19.0% | -2.1% |
| 1972 | 17.5% | -8.1% |
| 1973 | 21.4% | +22.1% |
| 1974 | 22.7% | +6.0% |
| 1975 | 19.2% | -15.3% |
| 1976 | 24.4% | +26.9% |
| 1977 | 29.1% | +19.4% |
| 1978 | 19.3% | -33.6% |
| 1979 | 17.7% | -8.2% |
| 1980 | 19.1% | +7.9% |
| 1981 | 17.5% | -8.8% |
| 1982 | 16.9% | -3.5% |
| 1983 | 17.6% | +4.6% |
| 1984 | 19.0% | +7.8% |
| 1985 | 18.5% | -2.7% |
| 1986 | 19.3% | +4.3% |
| 1987 | 15.1% | -22.0% |
| 1988 | 13.9% | -7.5% |
| 1989 | 15.4% | +10.5% |
| 1990 | 17.1% | +11.4% |
| 1991 | 16.2% | -5.6% |
| 1992 | 17.6% | +8.8% |
| 1993 | 26.3% | +49.2% |
| 1994 | 26.2% | -0.5% |
| 1995 | 23.9% | -8.6% |
| 1996 | 19.3% | -19.1% |
| 1997 | 16.6% | -14.1% |
| 1998 | 15.3% | -7.7% |
| 1999 | 17.0% | +10.7% |
| 2000 | 15.7% | -7.2% |
| 2001 | 16.8% | +6.6% |
| 2002 | 18.2% | +8.2% |
| 2003 | 18.7% | +2.9% |
| 2004 | 19.9% | +6.6% |
| 2005 | 18.7% | -6.1% |
| 2006 | 14.4% | -23.1% |
| 2007 | 13.6% | -5.5% |
| 2008 | 14.9% | +9.9% |
| 2009 | 13.4% | -10.6% |
| 2010 | 13.7% | +2.3% |
| 2011 | 15.7% | +14.7% |
| 2012 | 13.5% | -13.8% |
| 2013 | 12.9% | -4.5% |
| 2014 | 11.9% | -7.7% |
Kenya compared with similar countries
- Kenya's 11.9% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 24.9%, 48% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Kenya's 11.9% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 21.7%, 55% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 16.2% | 15.0% | 17.4% | 5 |
| 1960s | 20.8% | 18.2% | 22.9% | 10 |
| 1970s | 21.0% | 17.5% | 29.1% | 10 |
| 1980s | 17.2% | 13.9% | 19.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 19.6% | 15.3% | 26.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 16.4% | 13.4% | 19.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 13.5% | 11.9% | 15.7% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Kenya
- 158 Saint Kitts and Nevis 12.9% compare
- 159 Saint Lucia 12.4% compare
- 160 Haiti 12.4% compare
- 162 Pakistan 11.7% compare
- 163 Bermuda 11.4% compare
- 164 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 11.4% compare
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 value of exported goods as a share of gdp in Kenya?
- Value of exported goods as a share of gdp in Kenya was 11.9% in 2014, according to Fouquin and Hugot (2016) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest value of exported goods as a share of gdp recorded in Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 29.1% in 1977.
- What is the lowest value of exported goods as a share of gdp recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 11.9% in 2014.
- How does Kenya rank for value of exported goods as a share of gdp?
- Kenya ranks 161st out of 193 countries with data for 2014.
- Is value of exported goods as a share of gdp rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is down 40.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Kenya data come from?
- The figures come from Fouquin and Hugot (2016) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Value of exported goods as a share of GDP. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Total value of merchandise exports divided by gross domestic product (GDP), expressed as a percentage.