Taxes on incomes of individuals and corporations as share of GDP in Kenya
Kenya: Taxes on incomes of individuals and corporations as share of GDP was 7.9% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Taxes on incomes of individuals and corporations as share of GDP in Kenya, 1987–2023
Source: UNU-WIDER Government Revenue Dataset (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for taxes on incomes of individuals and corporations as share of gdp in Kenya is 7.9%, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 36 years on record.
That represents a change of up 13.7% on the previous year and up 12.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, taxes on incomes of individuals and corporations as share of gdp in Kenya peaked at 7.9% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 3.1%, in 1987.
That places Kenya 59th out of 184 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 incomes of individuals and corporations as share of GDP in Kenya, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1987 | 3.1% | — |
| 1988 | 3.3% | +5.7% |
| 1989 | 3.2% | -2.2% |
| 1990 | 3.2% | +1.1% |
| 1991 | 3.4% | +4.8% |
| 1992 | 3.5% | +3.6% |
| 1993 | 3.3% | -6.4% |
| 1994 | 5.2% | +58.4% |
| 1995 | 5.3% | +1.8% |
| 1996 | 4.7% | -12.0% |
| 1997 | 4.3% | -8.3% |
| 1998 | 4.5% | +5.4% |
| 1999 | 4.2% | -6.1% |
| 2000 | 3.9% | -7.1% |
| 2001 | 3.8% | -2.4% |
| 2002 | 3.9% | +2.7% |
| 2003 | 4.3% | +9.8% |
| 2004 | 4.5% | +3.9% |
| 2005 | 5.0% | +11.5% |
| 2006 | 5.1% | +1.9% |
| 2007 | 5.3% | +4.5% |
| 2008 | 5.8% | +9.3% |
| 2009 | 5.9% | +1.9% |
| 2010 | 6.1% | +2.9% |
| 2011 | 6.5% | +7.2% |
| 2012 | 6.6% | +0.2% |
| 2013 | 7.0% | +7.2% |
| 2014 | 7.5% | +6.6% |
| 2015 | 7.4% | -1.2% |
| 2017 | 7.4% | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 7.0% | -4.9% |
| 2019 | 6.7% | -4.9% |
| 2020 | 6.6% | -1.4% |
| 2021 | 7.3% | +10.4% |
| 2022 | 7.0% | -4.2% |
| 2023 | 7.9% | +13.7% |
Kenya compared with similar countries
- Kenya's 7.9% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 5.4%, 1.5× the median. (45 countries reporting)
- Kenya's 7.9% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 4.7%, 1.7× the median. (45 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Taxes on incomes of individuals and corporations as share of GDP 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | +58.4% | 3.3% | 5.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 3.2% | 3.1% | 3.3% | 3 |
| 1990s | 4.2% | 3.2% | 5.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 4.8% | 3.8% | 5.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.9% | 6.1% | 7.5% | 9 |
| 2020s | 7.2% | 6.6% | 7.9% | 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 incomes of individuals and corporations as share of gdp in Kenya?
- Taxes on incomes of individuals and corporations as share of gdp in Kenya was 7.9% in 2023, according to UNU-WIDER Government Revenue Dataset (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest taxes on incomes of individuals and corporations as share of gdp recorded in Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 7.9% in 2023.
- What is the lowest taxes on incomes of individuals and corporations as share of gdp recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.1% in 1987.
- How does Kenya rank for taxes on incomes of individuals and corporations as share of gdp?
- Kenya ranks 59th out of 184 countries with data for 2023.
- Is taxes on incomes of individuals and corporations as share of gdp rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is up 12.9%. 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 incomes of individuals and corporations as share of GDP. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Tax revenue on incomes, profits and capital gains divided by gross domestic product, expressed as a percentage.