Food imports in Kenya
Kenya: Food imports was 16.3% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Food imports in Kenya, 1976–2024
Source: Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division. Measured in % of merchandise imports.
Analysis
The most recent figure for food imports in Kenya is 16.3%, measured in 2024.
That represents a change of down 13.6% on the previous year and up 51.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, food imports in Kenya peaked at 19.8% in 1994 and was at its lowest, 5.8%, in 1977.
Kenya ranks 88th of 196 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 44 years of available data.
Food imports in Kenya, year by year
| Year | % of merchandise imports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1976 | 7.9% | — |
| 1977 | 5.8% | -25.8% |
| 1978 | 6.9% | +17.5% |
| 1979 | 6.3% | -8.0% |
| 1980 | 7.7% | +22.5% |
| 1981 | 6.1% | -20.8% |
| 1982 | 7.7% | +25.8% |
| 1983 | 9.4% | +22.6% |
| 1984 | 12.2% | +29.2% |
| 1985 | 9.7% | -20.5% |
| 1986 | 9.3% | -4.4% |
| 1987 | 7.2% | -22.4% |
| 1990 | 9.3% | +29.7% |
| 1991 | 9.8% | +4.7% |
| 1992 | 17.0% | +73.8% |
| 1993 | 13.6% | -19.9% |
| 1994 | 19.8% | +45.4% |
| 1995 | 10.1% | -49.0% |
| 1996 | 12.0% | +19.2% |
| 1997 | 16.7% | +38.7% |
| 1998 | 14.4% | -13.6% |
| 1999 | 11.9% | -17.6% |
| 2000 | 13.9% | +17.4% |
| 2001 | 13.4% | -4.2% |
| 2002 | 11.3% | -15.7% |
| 2003 | 12.2% | +8.2% |
| 2004 | 10.4% | -14.7% |
| 2005 | 9.5% | -8.8% |
| 2006 | 9.2% | -2.6% |
| 2007 | 11.0% | +19.3% |
| 2008 | 11.6% | +5.7% |
| 2009 | 15.4% | +32.3% |
| 2010 | 12.1% | -21.7% |
| 2013 | 10.7% | -11.0% |
| 2015 | 11.3% | +5.1% |
| 2016 | 12.4% | +9.6% |
| 2017 | 18.9% | +52.9% |
| 2018 | 14.0% | -25.7% |
| 2019 | 14.6% | +4.1% |
| 2020 | 16.8% | +15.2% |
| 2021 | 16.0% | -5.1% |
| 2022 | 16.4% | +2.7% |
| 2023 | 18.8% | +14.7% |
| 2024 | 16.3% | -13.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 6.7% | 5.8% | 7.9% | 4 |
| 1980s | 8.7% | 6.1% | 12.2% | 8 |
| 1990s | 13.5% | 9.3% | 19.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 11.8% | 9.2% | 15.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 13.4% | 10.7% | 18.9% | 7 |
| 2020s | 16.9% | 16.0% | 18.8% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Kenya
- 85 Nicaragua 16.6% compare
- 86 Papua New Guinea 16.5% compare
- 87 Trinidad and Tobago 16.4% compare
- 89 Botswana 16.2% compare
- 90 French Polynesia 15.9% compare
- 91 Portugal 15.9% compare
More private sector data for Kenya
- Merchandise trade 22.2% (2025)
- 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$), annual growth rate 4.42 % change on previous year (2025)
- Merchandise imports (current US$), per capita 375.68 current US$ per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is food imports in Kenya?
- Food imports in Kenya was 16.3% in 2024, according to Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division.
- What is the highest food imports recorded in Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 19.8% in 1994.
- What is the lowest food imports recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.8% in 1977.
- How does Kenya rank for food imports?
- Kenya ranks 88th out of 196 countries with data for 2024.
- Is food imports rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is up 51.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Kenya data come from?
- The figures come from Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division, published as part of Food imports (% of merchandise imports). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 44 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Food comprises the commodities in SITC (Rev. 3) sections 0 (food and live animals), 1 (beverages and tobacco), and 4 (animal and vegetable oils and fats) and division 22 (oil seeds, oil nuts, and oil kernels). This indicator is expressed as a percentage of merchandise imports which is comprised of goods whose economic ownership is changed between a non-resident and a resident and that are not included in the following specific categories: goods under merchanting, non-monetary gold, and parts of travel, construction, and government goods and services n.i.e.