Kenya: Net acquisition of financial assets (current LCU)

Key figures

Over five years it is up 6.84% from 257.34 billion in 2018 (1.33% a year on average, compounded). Since 2014 it is up 1,949% from 13.42 billion in 2014 (39.87% a year on average, compounded).

What the numbers say

In 2023, Kenya's net acquisition of financial assets (current LCU) rose 19.3% on 2022 (from 230.4 billion to 274.95 billion).

Across the 8 yearly changes before that (2015 to 2022), the average change was +93.3% and a typical year strayed about 197.4% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.4 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 556.1% in 2015 and the biggest yearly fall was 39.5% in 2022. 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 28.85 billion a year. A straight line explains 52% 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 4th highest value of the 14 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

• Uzbekistan — 1st of 14: 1.98 trillion
• Kazakhstan — 2nd of 14: 1.42 trillion
• Sri Lanka — 4th of 14: 234.09 billion
• Iceland — 5th of 14: 66.86 billion
• Vanuatu — 6th of 14: 1.19 billion

What this measures

Net acquisition of government financial assets includes domestic and foreign financial claims, SDRs, and gold bullion held by monetary authorities as a reserve asset. The net acquisition of financial assets should be offset by the net incurrence of liabilities. 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

Net acquisition of financial assets (current LCU) in nearby economies

• Angola — -2.2 trillion (2024)
• Botswana — -2.86 billion (2023)
• Burkina Faso — 137.43 billion (2024)
• Burundi — 134.1 billion (2021)
• Cabo Verde — 1.5 billion (2020)
• Cameroon — -58.09 billion (2021)
• Central African Republic — -2.89 billion (2021)
• Congo, Dem. Rep. — -1.25 trillion (2022)
• Congo, Rep. — 220.7 billion (2021)
• Côte d'Ivoire

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 net acquisition of financial assets (current LCU)?

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

How has it changed since 2014?

It is up 1,949% from 13.42 billion in 2014 (39.87% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 416.88 billion in 2020 and the lowest 13.42 billion in 2014.

How does Kenya rank?

4th highest of 14 economies with data for 2023.

Is the latest change in net acquisition of financial assets (current LCU) unusual for Kenya?

In 2023, Kenya's net acquisition of financial assets (current LCU) rose 19.3% on 2022 (from 230.4 billion to 274.95 billion). Across the 8 yearly changes before that (2015 to 2022), the average change was +93.3% and a typical year strayed about 197.4% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.4 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.AST.TOTL.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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