Taxes on income vs. taxes on goods and services in Kenya
Kenya: Taxes on income vs. taxes on goods and services was 7.0% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Taxes on income vs. taxes on goods and services in Kenya, 1987–2023
Source: UNU-WIDER Government Revenue Dataset (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
Kenya recorded 7.0% for taxes on income vs. taxes on goods and services in 2023. That is the highest value across all 36 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 15.7% on the previous year and up 37.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, taxes on income vs. taxes on goods and services in Kenya peaked at 7.0% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 4.4%, in 1987.
That places Kenya 99th out of 187 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 36 years of available data.
Taxes on income vs. taxes on goods and services in Kenya, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1987 | 4.4% | — |
| 1988 | 4.9% | +11.5% |
| 1989 | 4.8% | -2.0% |
| 1990 | 4.6% | -4.7% |
| 1991 | 5.0% | +9.4% |
| 1992 | 5.2% | +3.2% |
| 1993 | 4.9% | -5.5% |
| 1994 | 5.7% | +16.4% |
| 1995 | 5.5% | -4.1% |
| 1996 | 5.1% | -7.9% |
| 1997 | 4.8% | -5.3% |
| 1998 | 5.2% | +9.5% |
| 1999 | 5.3% | +0.8% |
| 2000 | 5.0% | -5.3% |
| 2001 | 5.4% | +6.9% |
| 2002 | 5.5% | +3.4% |
| 2003 | 5.7% | +2.1% |
| 2004 | 5.6% | -0.1% |
| 2005 | 6.7% | +18.8% |
| 2006 | 6.6% | -1.8% |
| 2007 | 6.2% | -5.9% |
| 2008 | 6.3% | +2.2% |
| 2009 | 6.0% | -4.8% |
| 2010 | 6.0% | -0.1% |
| 2011 | 6.1% | +1.9% |
| 2012 | 5.5% | -10.2% |
| 2013 | 5.1% | -7.4% |
| 2014 | 6.0% | +17.0% |
| 2015 | 5.8% | -2.6% |
| 2017 | 6.2% | +7.1% |
| 2018 | 5.9% | -4.8% |
| 2019 | 6.9% | +16.4% |
| 2020 | 6.3% | -8.9% |
| 2021 | 6.4% | +2.5% |
| 2022 | 6.0% | -6.3% |
| 2023 | 7.0% | +15.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 4.7% | 4.4% | 4.9% | 3 |
| 1990s | 5.1% | 4.6% | 5.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 5.9% | 5.0% | 6.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.0% | 5.1% | 6.9% | 9 |
| 2020s | 6.4% | 6.0% | 7.0% | 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)
- 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 taxes on income vs. taxes on goods and services in Kenya?
- Taxes on income vs. taxes on goods and services in Kenya was 7.0% in 2023, according to UNU-WIDER Government Revenue Dataset (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest taxes on income vs. taxes on goods and services recorded in Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 7.0% in 2023.
- What is the lowest taxes on income vs. taxes on goods and services recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.4% in 1987.
- How does Kenya rank for taxes on income vs. taxes on goods and services?
- Kenya ranks 99th out of 187 countries with data for 2023.
- Is taxes on income vs. taxes on goods and services rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is up 37.2%. 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 Taxes on income vs. taxes on goods and services. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Total taxes on income (individual and corporate) vs. total taxes on goods and services (including VAT and sales taxes), as a share of GDP.