Value of imported goods as a share of GDP (International Monetary) in Kenya
Kenya: Value of imported goods as a share of GDP (International Monetary) was 16.3% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Value of imported goods as a share of GDP in Kenya, 1960–2025
Source: International Monetary Fund (2026); National statistical organizations and central banks, OECD national accounts, and World Bank staff estimates (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2025, value of imported goods as a share of gdp in Kenya stood at 16.3%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.5% on the previous year and down 28.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, value of imported goods as a share of gdp in Kenya peaked at 34.9% in 1995 and was at its lowest, 5.7%, in 2004.
That places Kenya 168th out of 201 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 66 years of available data.
Value of imported goods as a share of GDP (International Monetary) in Kenya, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 26.9% | — |
| 1961 | 26.4% | -1.9% |
| 1962 | 25.5% | -3.3% |
| 1963 | 24.7% | -3.2% |
| 1964 | 17.7% | -28.3% |
| 1965 | 21.2% | +19.6% |
| 1966 | 23.1% | +8.9% |
| 1967 | 20.2% | -12.7% |
| 1968 | 22.8% | +13.3% |
| 1969 | 21.9% | -4.3% |
| 1970 | 24.4% | +11.5% |
| 1971 | 28.2% | +15.9% |
| 1972 | 22.1% | -21.8% |
| 1973 | 21.4% | -3.3% |
| 1974 | 30.3% | +41.8% |
| 1975 | 25.6% | -15.4% |
| 1976 | 24.4% | -4.8% |
| 1977 | 23.8% | -2.3% |
| 1978 | 25.0% | +5.2% |
| 1979 | 22.7% | -9.2% |
| 1980 | 31.6% | +39.1% |
| 1981 | 26.9% | -14.9% |
| 1982 | 22.2% | -17.6% |
| 1983 | 20.6% | -7.3% |
| 1984 | 21.3% | +3.3% |
| 1985 | 20.5% | -3.4% |
| 1986 | 19.5% | -4.8% |
| 1987 | 19.5% | -0.2% |
| 1988 | 21.0% | +7.8% |
| 1989 | 22.9% | +8.9% |
| 1990 | 20.6% | -10.2% |
| 1991 | 21.6% | +4.8% |
| 1992 | 21.1% | -2.2% |
| 1993 | 26.6% | +26.2% |
| 1994 | 29.2% | +9.6% |
| 1995 | 34.9% | +19.8% |
| 1996 | 22.0% | -36.9% |
| 1997 | 24.3% | +10.2% |
| 1998 | 23.3% | -3.9% |
| 1999 | 23.9% | +2.6% |
| 2000 | 25.5% | +6.7% |
| 2001 | 27.1% | +6.3% |
| 2002 | 23.7% | -12.7% |
| 2003 | 23.6% | -0.3% |
| 2004 | 5.7% | -76.0% |
| 2005 | 31.1% | +449.6% |
| 2006 | 27.8% | -10.7% |
| 2007 | 27.9% | +0.4% |
| 2008 | 32.4% | +16.0% |
| 2009 | 23.3% | -28.0% |
| 2010 | 25.3% | +8.4% |
| 2011 | 30.9% | +22.5% |
| 2012 | 28.4% | -8.4% |
| 2013 | 26.1% | -8.0% |
| 2014 | 26.4% | +1.3% |
| 2015 | 22.9% | -13.4% |
| 2016 | 18.8% | -17.7% |
| 2017 | 20.3% | +7.9% |
| 2018 | 18.9% | -7.1% |
| 2019 | 17.1% | -9.3% |
| 2020 | 15.0% | -12.4% |
| 2021 | 17.8% | +18.8% |
| 2022 | 18.4% | +3.2% |
| 2023 | 17.3% | -6.1% |
| 2024 | 16.8% | -3.1% |
| 2025 | 16.3% | -2.5% |
Kenya compared with similar countries
- Kenya's 16.3% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 28.5%, 57% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Kenya's 16.3% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 26.0%, 63% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Value of imported goods as a share of GDP (International Monetary) in Kenya changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | +449.6% | 5.7% | 31.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 23.1% | 17.7% | 26.9% | 10 |
| 1970s | 24.8% | 21.4% | 30.3% | 10 |
| 1980s | 22.6% | 19.5% | 31.6% | 10 |
| 1990s | 24.7% | 20.6% | 34.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 24.8% | 5.7% | 32.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 23.5% | 17.1% | 30.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 16.9% | 15.0% | 18.4% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Kenya
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 value of imported goods as a share of gdp in Kenya?
- Value of imported goods as a share of gdp in Kenya was 16.3% in 2025, according to International Monetary Fund (2026); National statistical organizations and central banks, OECD national accounts, and World Bank staff estimates (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest value of imported goods as a share of gdp recorded in Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 34.9% in 1995.
- What is the lowest value of imported goods as a share of gdp recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.7% in 2004.
- How does Kenya rank for value of imported goods as a share of gdp?
- Kenya ranks 168th out of 201 countries with data for 2025.
- Is value of imported goods as a share of gdp rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is down 28.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Kenya data come from?
- The figures come from International Monetary Fund (2026); National statistical organizations and central banks, OECD national accounts, and World Bank staff estimates (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Value of imported goods as a share of GDP. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Value of a country’s total goods imports, including freight and insurance costs, as a percentage of a country’s gross domestic product (GDP).