Tax revenue as share of GDP in Kenya
Kenya: Tax revenue as share of GDP was 16.1% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Tax revenue as share of GDP in Kenya, 1980–2023
Source: UNU-WIDER Government Revenue Dataset (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
Kenya recorded 16.1% for tax revenue as share of gdp in 2023. That is the highest value across all 44 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 14.9% on the previous year and up 16.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, tax revenue as share of gdp in Kenya peaked at 16.1% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 9.3%, in 1985.
Kenya ranks 121st of 192 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 44 years of available data.
Tax revenue as share of GDP in Kenya, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 10.4% | — |
| 1981 | 10.8% | +3.8% |
| 1982 | 10.3% | -4.6% |
| 1983 | 9.5% | -8.0% |
| 1984 | 9.6% | +1.2% |
| 1985 | 9.3% | -3.5% |
| 1986 | 9.5% | +2.4% |
| 1987 | 9.9% | +4.6% |
| 1988 | 10.4% | +5.1% |
| 1989 | 10.0% | -4.3% |
| 1990 | 9.7% | -3.0% |
| 1991 | 9.9% | +2.8% |
| 1992 | 9.7% | -2.0% |
| 1993 | 9.5% | -2.8% |
| 1994 | 13.0% | +37.3% |
| 1995 | 13.3% | +1.9% |
| 1996 | 11.9% | -10.1% |
| 1997 | 11.2% | -6.1% |
| 1998 | 11.9% | +6.5% |
| 1999 | 11.8% | -0.9% |
| 2000 | 11.3% | -4.7% |
| 2001 | 11.4% | +1.4% |
| 2002 | 11.2% | -2.0% |
| 2003 | 11.4% | +1.7% |
| 2004 | 11.8% | +3.1% |
| 2005 | 13.3% | +13.4% |
| 2006 | 13.2% | -1.1% |
| 2007 | 13.2% | +0.1% |
| 2008 | 14.0% | +5.7% |
| 2009 | 13.6% | -2.6% |
| 2010 | 13.9% | +2.0% |
| 2011 | 14.3% | +3.0% |
| 2012 | 14.2% | -0.5% |
| 2013 | 13.8% | -2.6% |
| 2014 | 15.2% | +9.7% |
| 2015 | 14.8% | -2.3% |
| 2016 | 15.0% | +0.8% |
| 2017 | 15.1% | +0.6% |
| 2018 | 14.4% | -4.6% |
| 2019 | 15.1% | +5.1% |
| 2020 | 14.3% | -5.2% |
| 2021 | 14.7% | +2.9% |
| 2022 | 14.0% | -5.0% |
| 2023 | 16.1% | +14.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 10.0% | 9.3% | 10.8% | 10 |
| 1990s | 11.2% | 9.5% | 13.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 12.4% | 11.2% | 14.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 14.6% | 13.8% | 15.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 14.8% | 14.0% | 16.1% | 4 |
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)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (current LCU) 7.76 % change on previous year (2025)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (current LCU) 99.49 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (current LCU) 235,074 current LCU per person (2025)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (constant 2015) 4.67 % change on previous year (2025)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (constant 2015) 0.5978 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (constant 2015) 1,413 constant 2015 US$ per person (2025)
- Final consumption expenditure (current US$), annual growth rate 12.48 % change on previous year (2025)
- Final consumption expenditure (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.8815 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is tax revenue as share of gdp in Kenya?
- Tax revenue as share of gdp in Kenya was 16.1% in 2023, according to UNU-WIDER Government Revenue Dataset (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest tax revenue as share of gdp recorded in Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 16.1% in 2023.
- What is the lowest tax revenue as share of gdp recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.3% in 1985.
- How does Kenya rank for tax revenue as share of gdp?
- Kenya ranks 121st out of 192 countries with data for 2023.
- Is tax revenue as share of gdp rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is up 16.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Kenya data come from?
- The figures come from UNU-WIDER Government Revenue Dataset (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Tax revenue as share of GDP. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Direct and indirect taxes as well as social contributions included.