Merchandise trade as a proportion of GDP (%) in Kenya
Kenya: Merchandise trade as a proportion of GDP (%) was 23.5% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
23.5%
Change on year
down 1.8%
World rank
209th
of 220 countries
All-time high
49.5%
in 2005
All-time low
21.3%
in 2020
Years of data
25
2000–2024
Merchandise trade as a proportion of GDP in Kenya, 2000–2024
Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database. Measured in %.
Analysis
Kenya recorded 23.5% for merchandise trade as a proportion of gdp in 2024.
That represents a change of down 1.8% on the previous year and down 34.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, merchandise trade as a proportion of gdp in Kenya peaked at 49.5% in 2005 and was at its lowest, 21.3%, in 2020.
Kenya ranks 209th of 220 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.
Merchandise trade as a proportion of GDP (%) in Kenya, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 38.1% | — |
| 2001 | 39.6% | +3.8% |
| 2002 | 40.8% | +3.1% |
| 2003 | 41.2% | +1.0% |
| 2004 | 45.0% | +9.2% |
| 2005 | 49.5% | +10.0% |
| 2006 | 41.6% | -15.9% |
| 2007 | 40.9% | -1.6% |
| 2008 | 44.9% | +9.9% |
| 2009 | 34.6% | -22.9% |
| 2010 | 38.0% | +9.8% |
| 2011 | 43.8% | +15.3% |
| 2012 | 39.7% | -9.3% |
| 2013 | 36.0% | -9.4% |
| 2014 | 35.9% | -0.3% |
| 2015 | 31.4% | -12.6% |
| 2016 | 26.5% | -15.6% |
| 2017 | 27.3% | +3.3% |
| 2018 | 25.4% | -7.1% |
| 2019 | 23.4% | -7.9% |
| 2020 | 21.3% | -8.9% |
| 2021 | 24.0% | +12.4% |
| 2022 | 25.0% | +4.2% |
| 2023 | 24.0% | -4.0% |
| 2024 | 23.5% | -1.8% |
Kenya compared with similar countries
- Kenya's 23.5% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 56.4%, 42% of the median. (43 countries reporting)
- Kenya's 23.5% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 43.1%, 55% of the median. (45 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 41.6% | 34.6% | 49.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 32.8% | 23.4% | 43.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 23.6% | 21.3% | 25.0% | 5 |
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 merchandise trade as a proportion of gdp in Kenya?
- Merchandise trade as a proportion of gdp in Kenya was 23.5% in 2024, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
- What is the highest merchandise trade as a proportion of gdp recorded in Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 49.5% in 2005.
- What is the lowest merchandise trade as a proportion of gdp recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 21.3% in 2020.
- How does Kenya rank for merchandise trade as a proportion of gdp?
- Kenya ranks 209th out of 220 countries with data for 2024.
- Is merchandise trade as a proportion of gdp rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is down 34.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Kenya data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database, published as part of Merchandise trade as a proportion of GDP (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 25 observations, free to reuse under UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested).