Trade in Kenya
Kenya: Trade was 37.5% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Trade in Kenya, 1960–2025
Source: Country official statistics, National Statistical Organizations and/or Central Banks. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
The most recent figure for trade in Kenya is 37.5%, measured in 2025.
The figure is down 6.2% on the previous year and down 7.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, trade in Kenya peaked at 74.6% in 1974 and was at its lowest, 30.4%, in 2020.
Kenya ranks 175th of 192 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 66 years of available data.
Trade in Kenya, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 64.8% | — |
| 1961 | 63.8% | -1.4% |
| 1962 | 62.2% | -2.6% |
| 1963 | 61.0% | -1.9% |
| 1964 | 62.6% | +2.6% |
| 1965 | 62.1% | -0.8% |
| 1966 | 63.3% | +1.9% |
| 1967 | 57.8% | -8.6% |
| 1968 | 58.7% | +1.5% |
| 1969 | 57.6% | -1.8% |
| 1970 | 60.5% | +5.0% |
| 1971 | 63.8% | +5.5% |
| 1972 | 55.3% | -13.3% |
| 1973 | 56.1% | +1.4% |
| 1974 | 74.6% | +33.0% |
| 1975 | 64.3% | -13.7% |
| 1976 | 64.2% | -0.2% |
| 1977 | 66.6% | +3.7% |
| 1978 | 67.6% | +1.6% |
| 1979 | 57.4% | -15.2% |
| 1980 | 65.4% | +14.0% |
| 1981 | 64.3% | -1.7% |
| 1982 | 58.2% | -9.4% |
| 1983 | 54.2% | -7.0% |
| 1984 | 58.8% | +8.6% |
| 1985 | 55.4% | -5.7% |
| 1986 | 55.7% | +0.5% |
| 1987 | 47.7% | -14.4% |
| 1988 | 50.0% | +4.8% |
| 1989 | 53.2% | +6.4% |
| 1990 | 57.0% | +7.3% |
| 1991 | 55.6% | -2.5% |
| 1992 | 52.9% | -4.8% |
| 1993 | 72.9% | +37.6% |
| 1994 | 71.3% | -2.2% |
| 1995 | 71.7% | +0.7% |
| 1996 | 57.3% | -20.1% |
| 1997 | 54.1% | -5.7% |
| 1998 | 48.9% | -9.5% |
| 1999 | 48.2% | -1.4% |
| 2000 | 53.3% | +10.6% |
| 2001 | 55.9% | +4.9% |
| 2002 | 55.2% | -1.4% |
| 2003 | 54.1% | -1.9% |
| 2004 | 59.5% | +9.9% |
| 2005 | 64.5% | +8.4% |
| 2006 | 55.2% | -14.3% |
| 2007 | 53.9% | -2.4% |
| 2008 | 57.6% | +6.8% |
| 2009 | 45.9% | -20.2% |
| 2010 | 50.4% | +9.7% |
| 2011 | 58.4% | +15.9% |
| 2012 | 51.6% | -11.6% |
| 2013 | 47.5% | -8.1% |
| 2014 | 46.2% | -2.7% |
| 2015 | 40.3% | -12.7% |
| 2016 | 34.9% | -13.5% |
| 2017 | 36.0% | +3.2% |
| 2018 | 34.4% | -4.4% |
| 2019 | 31.8% | -7.7% |
| 2020 | 30.4% | -4.3% |
| 2021 | 35.0% | +15.1% |
| 2022 | 40.3% | +15.1% |
| 2023 | 40.9% | +1.6% |
| 2024 | 40.0% | -2.3% |
| 2025 | 37.5% | -6.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 61.4% | 57.6% | 64.8% | 10 |
| 1970s | 63.0% | 55.3% | 74.6% | 10 |
| 1980s | 56.3% | 47.7% | 65.4% | 10 |
| 1990s | 59.0% | 48.2% | 72.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 55.5% | 45.9% | 64.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 43.1% | 31.8% | 58.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 37.4% | 30.4% | 40.9% | 6 |
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 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)
- Gross value added at basic prices (GVA) (constant 2015 US$), per 1,757 constant 2015 US$ per person (2025)
- Gross value added at basic prices (GVA) (constant LCU), annual growth 4.77 % change on previous year (2025)
- Gross value added at basic prices (GVA) (constant LCU), per unit of 77.02 constant LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is trade in Kenya?
- Trade in Kenya was 37.5% in 2025, according to Country official statistics, National Statistical Organizations and/or Central Banks.
- What is the highest trade recorded in Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 74.6% in 1974.
- What is the lowest trade recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 30.4% in 2020.
- How does Kenya rank for trade?
- Kenya ranks 175th out of 192 countries with data for 2025.
- Is trade rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is down 7.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Kenya data come from?
- The figures come from Country official statistics, National Statistical Organizations and/or Central Banks, published as part of Trade (% of GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 66 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Trade is the sum of exports and imports of goods and services. This indicator is expressed as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) which is the total income earned through the production of goods and services in an economic territory during an accounting period.