Tax revenue as share of GDP vs. GDP per capita in Kenya
Kenya: Tax revenue as share of GDP vs. GDP per capita was 16.1% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Tax revenue as share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 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 vs. gdp per capita 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 vs. gdp per capita in Kenya peaked at 16.1% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 9.3%, in 1985.
Kenya ranks 121st of 187 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 vs. GDP per capita 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)
- Gross value added at basic prices (GVA) (current US$), annual growth 13.03 % change on previous year (2025)
- Gross value added at basic prices (GVA) (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.9254 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Gross value added at basic prices (GVA) (current US$), per capita 2,187 current US$ per person (2025)
- Gross value added at basic prices (GVA) (current LCU), annual growth 8.4 % change on previous year (2025)
- Gross value added at basic prices (GVA) (current LCU), per unit of GDP 119.65 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Gross value added at basic prices (GVA) (current LCU), per capita 282,722 current LCU per person (2025)
- Gross value added at basic prices (GVA) (constant 2015 US$), annual 4.77 % change on previous year (2025)
- Gross value added at basic prices (GVA) (constant 2015 US$), per unit 0.7436 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is tax revenue as share of gdp vs. gdp per capita in Kenya?
- Tax revenue as share of gdp vs. gdp per capita 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 vs. gdp per capita recorded in Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 16.1% in 2023.
- What is the lowest tax revenue as share of gdp vs. gdp per capita recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.3% in 1985.
- How does Kenya rank for tax revenue as share of gdp vs. gdp per capita?
- Kenya ranks 121st out of 187 countries with data for 2023.
- Is tax revenue as share of gdp vs. gdp per capita 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 vs. GDP per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Taxes include direct and indirect taxes as well as social contributions. GDP per capita is adjusted for inflation and differences in living costs between countries.