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2023
Economic Complexity
Trade -0.47Rank 86 of 132
2021
Economic Complexity
Technology -1.52Rank 92 of 96
2022
Economic Complexity
Research 0.37Rank 40 of 140
2023
Product
Exports | Imports $8.59B | $20.9B109 of 226 |  82 of 226
2023
Per Capita Product
Exports | Imports $155 | $378159 of 220 |  189 of 220

About

Overview In 2023, Kenya was the number 67 economy in the world in terms of GDP (current US$), the number 109 in total exports, the number 82 in total imports, the number 160 economy in terms of GDP per capita (current US$) and the number 86 most complex economy according to the Economic Complexity Index (ECI) .

Exports The top exports of Kenya are Tea ($1.37B), Cut Flowers ($817M), Gold ($400M), Tropical Fruits ($323M), and Coffee ($304M), exporting mostly to Uganda ($893M), United States ($838M), United Arab Emirates ($716M), Netherlands ($706M), and Pakistan ($520M).

Imports The top imports of Kenya are Refined Petroleum ($4.06B), Palm Oil ($846M), Wheat ($654M), Packaged Medicaments ($439M), and Hot-Rolled Iron ($416M), importing mostly from China ($4.66B), United Arab Emirates ($2.86B), India ($2.08B), Saudi Arabia ($1.02B), and Malaysia ($859M).

Location Kenya borders Ethiopia, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda by land.

Latest Trends

Latest Trade

Flow
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Y-AXIS SCALE

The following section uses the most recent trade data from partners of Kenya.

Disclaimer: data is presented based on availability and only countries that use the harmonized system are being shown.

* Trade values are converted to USD using each month's exchange rate. For December 2023 data, the exchange rate from December 30, 2023 is used.

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Latest Data

Flow
Color
Depth

The data obtained is mirror data. The trade of countries that do not report current data can be reconstructed based on data reported by partner countries with current data available.

*All data is converted to USD using January 2020 exchange rates when data is reported in local currency.

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Historical Data

Yearly Trade

Flow
Color
Depth
Top Export (2023)Tea$1.37B
Top Destination (2023)Uganda$893M

In 2023, Kenya exported a total of $8.59B, making it the number 109 exporter in the world. During the last five reported years the exports of Kenya have changed by $1.53B from $7.06B in 2018 to $8.59B in 2023.

The most recent exports are led by Tea ($1.37B), Cut Flowers ($817M), Gold ($400M), Tropical Fruits ($323M), and Coffee ($304M). The most common destination for the exports of Kenya are Uganda ($893M), United States ($838M), United Arab Emirates ($716M), Netherlands ($706M), and Pakistan ($520M).

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Exports (2023)
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Destinations (2023)
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Market Growth

Flow
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Growth
Fastest Growing Export Markets (2022 - 2023)
Uganda$100M (+ 12.6%)
United Arab Emirates$90.7M (+ 14.5%)
Democratic Republic of the Congo$45M (+ 31.3%)
Fastest Growing Import Markets (2022 - 2023)
Russia$278M (+ 88.9%)
Brazil$135M (+ 178%)
Ethiopia$89M (+ 444%)

Total Export Growth by Market (2022 - 2023)

Potential Exports

Potential Exports

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Service Trade

Service Trade

Kenya Exports Services (2019)$5.6B
Kenya Imports Services (2019)$3.79B

In 2019, Kenya exported $5.6B worth of services. The top services exported by Kenya in 2019 were Transportation ($2.2B), Government services, n.i.e. ($972M), Personal travel ($901M), Computer and information services ($629M), and Financial services ($478M).

The top services imported by Kenya in 2019 were Transportation ($1.45B), Other business services ($957M), Construction services ($402M), Government services, n.i.e. ($260M), and Financial services ($218M).

Service Exports (2019)

Service Imports (2019)

Economic Complexity

Overview

Economic Complexity (Trade)-0.47Rank 86 of 132
Economic Complexity (Technology)-1.52Rank 92 of 96
Economic Complexity (Research)0.37Rank 40 of 140

Most Specialized Products by RCA Index

Kenya has a high level of specialization in Tea (497), Cut Flowers (215), Coconut and Other Vegetable Fibers (173), Legumes (147), and Other Ores (144). Specialization is measured using RCA, an index that takes the ratio between Kenya observed and expected exports in each product.

Export Opportunities by Relatedness

The top export opportunities for Kenya according to the relatedness index, were Crustaceans (0.32), Raw Sugar (0.31), Locust beans, seaweed, sugar beet, cane, for food (0.31), Bananas (0.31), and Raw Cotton (0.3). Relatedness measures the distance between a country's current exports and each product. The barchart show only products that Kenya is not specialized in.

Product Space

The product space is a network connecting products that are likely to be co-exported. The product space can be used to predict future exports, since countries are more likely to start exporting products that are related to current exports. Relatedness measures the distance between a product, and all of the products a country currently specializes in.

Relatedness Space

This network shows the products most related to the production structure of Kenya. These are products that tend to be co-exported with the products that Kenya exports. Higher relatedness values ​​indicate greater knowledge, which predicts a greater probability of exporting that product in the future.

Relatedness Space (2023)

Diversification Frontier

Filter
Depth

The Complexity-Relatedness diagram compares the risk vs strategic value of a country's potential export oppotunities. Relatedness is predictive of the probability that a country increases its exports in a product. Complexity, is associated with higher levels of income, economic growth, less income inequality, and lower greenhouse emissions.

Diversification Frontier

Economic Complexity Ranking

Methodology
Scale

During the last 20 years Kenya's⁩ ⁨economy has become relatively less complex, moving from the ⁩⁨71st to the 86th⁩ position in the ECI rank.

These economic complexity rankings use 6 digit exports classified according to the HS96 classification. We consider only countries with population of at least 1 million and exports of at least $1 billion, and products with world trade over $500 million. To explore different rankings and vary these parameters visit the custom rankings section.

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ECI (Trade) Ranking by Country

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