Commercial service imports in Kenya
Kenya: Commercial service imports was 5.43 billion current US$ in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
5.43 billion current US$
Change on year
up 1.9%
World rank
90th
of 200 countries
All-time high
5.46 billion current US$
in 2022
All-time low
245.94 million current US$
in 1975
Years of data
50
1975–2024
Commercial service imports in Kenya, 1975–2024
Source: Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in current US$.
Analysis
Kenya recorded 5.43 billion current US$ for commercial service imports in 2024.
The figure is up 1.9% on the previous year and up 76.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, commercial service imports in Kenya peaked at 5.46 billion current US$ in 2022 and was at its lowest, 245.94 million current US$, in 1975.
Kenya ranks 90th of 200 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Commercial service imports in Kenya, year by year
| Year | current US$ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 245.94 million current US$ | — |
| 1976 | 258.99 million current US$ | +5.3% |
| 1977 | 278.86 million current US$ | +7.7% |
| 1978 | 375.84 million current US$ | +34.8% |
| 1979 | 329.49 million current US$ | -12.3% |
| 1980 | 461.44 million current US$ | +40.1% |
| 1981 | 412.49 million current US$ | -10.6% |
| 1982 | 327.59 million current US$ | -20.6% |
| 1983 | 294.56 million current US$ | -10.1% |
| 1984 | 324.89 million current US$ | +10.3% |
| 1985 | 307.87 million current US$ | -5.2% |
| 1986 | 348.58 million current US$ | +13.2% |
| 1987 | 397.46 million current US$ | +14.0% |
| 1988 | 443.12 million current US$ | +11.5% |
| 1989 | 499.70 million current US$ | +12.8% |
| 1990 | 597.65 million current US$ | +19.6% |
| 1991 | 541.88 million current US$ | -9.3% |
| 1992 | 500.89 million current US$ | -7.6% |
| 1993 | 903.12 million current US$ | +80.3% |
| 1994 | 1.03 billion current US$ | +14.1% |
| 1995 | 926.28 million current US$ | -10.1% |
| 1996 | 785.62 million current US$ | -15.2% |
| 1997 | 1.10 billion current US$ | +40.5% |
| 1998 | 1.21 billion current US$ | +10.0% |
| 1999 | 1.31 billion current US$ | +8.2% |
| 2000 | 687.65 million current US$ | -47.7% |
| 2001 | 735.37 million current US$ | +6.9% |
| 2002 | 604.94 million current US$ | -17.7% |
| 2003 | 590.90 million current US$ | -2.3% |
| 2004 | 818.91 million current US$ | +38.6% |
| 2005 | 969.71 million current US$ | +18.4% |
| 2006 | 1.25 billion current US$ | +29.1% |
| 2007 | 1.50 billion current US$ | +19.7% |
| 2008 | 1.72 billion current US$ | +14.5% |
| 2009 | 1.65 billion current US$ | -3.7% |
| 2010 | 1.89 billion current US$ | +14.4% |
| 2011 | 1.96 billion current US$ | +3.5% |
| 2012 | 2.23 billion current US$ | +13.9% |
| 2013 | 1.96 billion current US$ | -12.2% |
| 2014 | 3.08 billion current US$ | +57.7% |
| 2015 | 3.08 billion current US$ | -0.2% |
| 2016 | 2.54 billion current US$ | -17.5% |
| 2017 | 2.85 billion current US$ | +12.1% |
| 2018 | 3.61 billion current US$ | +26.9% |
| 2019 | 3.59 billion current US$ | -0.5% |
| 2020 | 3.27 billion current US$ | -9.0% |
| 2021 | 4.02 billion current US$ | +22.9% |
| 2022 | 5.46 billion current US$ | +35.8% |
| 2023 | 5.33 billion current US$ | -2.3% |
| 2024 | 5.43 billion current US$ | +1.9% |
Kenya compared with similar countries
- Kenya's 5.43 billion current US$ is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 2.37 billion current US$, 2.3× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Kenya's 5.43 billion current US$ is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 1.39 billion current US$, 3.9× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 297.82 million current US$ | 245.94 million current US$ | 375.84 million current US$ | 5 |
| 1980s | 381.77 million current US$ | 294.56 million current US$ | 499.70 million current US$ | 10 |
| 1990s | 891.83 million current US$ | 500.89 million current US$ | 1.31 billion current US$ | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.05 billion current US$ | 590.90 million current US$ | 1.72 billion current US$ | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.68 billion current US$ | 1.89 billion current US$ | 3.61 billion current US$ | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.70 billion current US$ | 3.27 billion current US$ | 5.46 billion current US$ | 5 |
Countries ranked near Kenya
More private sector data for Kenya
- Merchandise trade 22.2% (2025)
- Food imports 16.3% (2024)
- Manufactures imports 56.6% (2024)
- Merchandise imports 21.61 billion current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 49.2% (2024)
- Manufactures exports 30.7% (2024)
- Merchandise exports 8.60 billion current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 149.5 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.0633 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), annual growth rate 4.42 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is commercial service imports in Kenya?
- Commercial service imports in Kenya was 5.43 billion current US$ in 2024, according to Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest commercial service imports recorded in Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 5.46 billion current US$ in 2022.
- What is the lowest commercial service imports recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 245.94 million current US$ in 1975.
- How does Kenya rank for commercial service imports?
- Kenya ranks 90th out of 200 countries with data for 2024.
- Is commercial service imports rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is up 76.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Kenya data come from?
- The figures come from Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Commercial service imports (current US$). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 50 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Commercial service imports are total service imports minus imports of government services not included elsewhere. Imports of services are services provided by non-residents to residents. 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.