Kenya's external balance on goods and services (current US$) was −US$8.15 billion in 2025, the latest year in the World Bank's World Development Indicators. That is down 15.38% from −US$7.06 billion in 2015.
Key figures
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Latest | −US$8.15 billion | 2025 |
| Five years earlier | −US$7.57 billion | 2020 |
| Ten years earlier | −US$7.06 billion | 2015 |
| Highest | US$284.64 million | 1993 |
| Lowest | −US$9.63 billion | 2021 |
| Average since 2016 | −US$8.3 billion | 2016–2025 |
| First recorded | −US$20.37 million |
What the numbers say
In 2025, Kenya's external balance on goods and services (current US$) fell US$566.2 million on 2024 (from −US$7.58 billion to −US$8.15 billion).
Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2024), the average change was −US$259.39 million and a typical year strayed about US$1.08 billion from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.3 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.
On record, the biggest yearly rise was US$1.97 billion in 2015 and the biggest yearly fall was US$2.57 billion in 2011. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.
From 2016 to 2025 there is no clear straight-line trend: a straight line explains 4% of the movement over 10 observed years, so the value is moving around more than it is heading anywhere.
Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.
How it compares
In 2025, Kenya had the 112th highest value of the 137 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.
Closest to Kenya in the 2025 ranking
- West Bank and Gaza — 109th of 137: −US$5.55 billion
- Guinea — 110th of 137: −US$5.91 billion
- Moldova — 111th of 137: −US$5.94 billion
- Honduras — 113th of 137: −US$8.52 billion
- Ethiopia — 114th of 137: −US$8.71 billion
- Kyrgyz Republic — 115th of 137: −US$8.77 billion
What this measures
The balance of international trade in goods and services is the difference between the exports and imports of goods and services. This indicator is expressed in current prices, meaning no adjustment has been made to account for price changes over time. This indicator is expressed in United States dollars.
All 66 values
| Year | External balance on goods and services (current US$) |
|---|---|
| 2025 | -8,146,837,172 |
| 2024 | -7,580,642,169 |
| 2023 | -8,070,176,487 |
| 2022 | -9,569,384,770 |
| 2021 | -9,634,802,145 |
| 2020 | -7,566,473,444 |
| 2019 | -8,937,164,424 |
| 2018 | -8,603,277,971 |
| 2017 | -8,631,666,733 |
| 2016 | -6,258,683,308 |
External balance on goods and services (current US$) in nearby economies
- Angola — US$13.82 billion (2025)
- Benin — −US$739.95 million (2025)
- Botswana — −US$1.09 billion (2025)
- Burkina Faso — US$1.37 billion (2025)
- Cabo Verde — −US$347.73 million (2025)
- Cameroon — −US$4.25 billion (2025)
- Central African Republic — −US$435.91 million (2025)
- Chad — US$2.73 billion (2025)
- Comoros — −US$404.54 million (2025)
More economic policy & debt data for Kenya
- General government final consumption expenditure (current US$) — US$15.24 billion (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (current LCU) — 1.97 trillion (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (constant 2015 US$) — US$14.8 billion (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (constant LCU) — 1.51 trillion (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (% of GDP) — 11.21% (2025)
- Households and NPISHs final consumption expenditure (current US$) — US$104.6 billion (2025)
- Households and NPISHs final consumption expenditure (current LCU) — 13.52 trillion (2025)
- Households and NPISHs final consumption expenditure (constant 2015 US$)
Reading data like this
Questions people ask
- What is Kenya's external balance on goods and services (current US$)?
- −US$8.15 billion in 2025, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).
- How has it changed since 1960?
- It is down 39,894% from −US$20.37 million in 1960. The highest value was US$284.64 million in 1993 and the lowest −US$9.63 billion in 2021.
- How does Kenya rank?
- 112th highest of 137 economies with data for 2025.
- Is the latest change in external balance on goods and services (current US$) unusual for Kenya?
- In 2025, Kenya's external balance on goods and services (current US$) fell US$566.2 million on 2024 (from −US$7.58 billion to −US$8.15 billion). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2024), the average change was −US$259.39 million and a typical year strayed about US$1.08 billion from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.3 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.
Source
World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator NE.RSB.GNFS.CD, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Country official statistics, National Statistical Organizations and/or Central Banks; National Accounts data files, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD); Staff estimates, World Bank (WB) Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.
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