Kenya: Interest payments (current LCU)

Key figures

Over five years it is up 110.54% from 325.78 billion in 2018 (16.06% a year on average, compounded). Since 2014 it is up 418.47% from 132.29 billion in 2014 (20.06% a year on average, compounded).

What the numbers say

In 2023, Kenya's interest payments (current LCU) rose 18.6% on 2022 (from 578.4 billion to 685.87 billion).

Across the 8 yearly changes before that (2015 to 2022), the average change was +20.6% and a typical year strayed about 9.6% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.2 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 37.1% in 2018. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2014 to 2023 the straight-line trend is upward, about 59.98 billion a year. A straight line explains 98% of the movement over 10 observed years.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2023, Kenya had the 6th highest value of the 17 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 2023 ranking

• Sri Lanka — 2nd of 17: 2.46 trillion
• Kazakhstan — 3rd of 17: 1.81 trillion
• Côte d'Ivoire — 4th of 17: 1.24 trillion
• Cambodia — 6th of 17: 473.14 billion
• Iceland — 7th of 17: 206.57 billion
• Togo — 8th of 17: 153.02 billion

What this measures

Interest payments include interest payments on government debt (including long-term bonds, long-term loans, and other debt instruments) to domestic and foreign residents. This indicator is expressed in current prices, meaning no adjustment has been made to account for price changes over time. This series is expressed in local currency units.

Limitations: For most countries central government finance data have been consolidated into one account, but for others only budgetary central government accounts are available. Countries reporting budgetary data are noted in the country metadata. Because budgetary accounts may not include all central government units (such as social security funds), they usually provide an incomplete picture. In federal states the central government accounts provide an incomplete view of total public finance. Data on government revenue and expense are collected by the IMF through questionnaires to member countries and by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

All 10 values

Interest payments (current LCU) in nearby economies

• Angola — 4.78 trillion (2024)
• Botswana — 2.55 billion (2023)
• Burkina Faso — 305.62 billion (2024)
• Burundi — 33.28 billion (2021)
• Cabo Verde — 4.77 billion (2020)
• Cameroon — 241.62 billion (2021)
• Central African Republic — 8.42 billion (2021)
• Congo, Dem. Rep. — 119.33 billion (2022)
• Congo, Rep. — 152.6 billion (2021)
• Côte d'Ivoire — 1.24 trillion (2023)
• Equatorial Guinea

More public sector data for Kenya

• Military expenditure (current USD) — 1.47 billion (2025)
• Military expenditure (current LCU) — 190.01 billion (2025)
• Military expenditure (% of GDP) — 1.07% (2025)
• Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values) — 117 million (2025)
• Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure) — 4.63% (2025)
• Armed forces personnel, total — 24,000 (2020)
• Armed forces personnel (% of total labor force) — 0.11% (2020)
• CPIA business regulatory environment rating (1=low to 6=high) — 4 (2025)
• CPIA debt policy rating (1=low to 6=high) — 3 (2025)
• CPIA economic management cluster average (1=low to 6=high)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
• Data analysis examples: 6 worked from one dataset — 3 min read
• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is Kenya's interest payments (current LCU)?

685.87 billion in 2023, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 2014?

It is up 418.47% from 132.29 billion in 2014 (20.06% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 685.87 billion in 2023 and the lowest 132.29 billion in 2014.

How does Kenya rank?

6th highest of 17 economies with data for 2023.

Is the latest change in interest payments (current LCU) unusual for Kenya?

In 2023, Kenya's interest payments (current LCU) rose 18.6% on 2022 (from 578.4 billion to 685.87 billion). Across the 8 yearly changes before that (2015 to 2022), the average change was +20.6% and a typical year strayed about 9.6% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.2 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 GC.XPN.INTP.CN, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF) 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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