Insurance and financial services in Kenya
Kenya: Insurance and financial services was 14.3% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Insurance and financial services in Kenya, 1975–2024
Source: Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of commercial service imports.
Analysis
The most recent figure for insurance and financial services in Kenya is 14.3%, measured in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 7.2% on the previous year and up 54.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, insurance and financial services in Kenya peaked at 15.4% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 5.0%, in 2007.
That places Kenya 23rd out of 197 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 50 years of available data.
Insurance and financial services in Kenya, year by year
| Year | % of commercial service imports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 6.7% | — |
| 1976 | 6.4% | -4.4% |
| 1977 | 6.9% | +6.5% |
| 1978 | 8.1% | +18.6% |
| 1979 | 6.6% | -18.5% |
| 1980 | 12.1% | +83.1% |
| 1981 | 9.0% | -26.1% |
| 1982 | 9.3% | +3.3% |
| 1983 | 8.4% | -9.3% |
| 1984 | 9.2% | +10.0% |
| 1985 | 9.6% | +3.9% |
| 1986 | 10.2% | +6.5% |
| 1987 | 10.8% | +6.3% |
| 1988 | 10.6% | -2.3% |
| 1989 | 10.4% | -2.1% |
| 1990 | 8.9% | -14.1% |
| 1991 | 7.8% | -11.9% |
| 1992 | 8.8% | +12.8% |
| 1993 | 9.3% | +5.0% |
| 1994 | 11.9% | +28.1% |
| 1995 | 10.1% | -14.9% |
| 1996 | 12.3% | +21.3% |
| 1997 | 13.3% | +7.8% |
| 1998 | 13.4% | +1.4% |
| 1999 | 12.9% | -4.1% |
| 2000 | 9.3% | -27.9% |
| 2001 | 11.9% | +28.1% |
| 2002 | 10.1% | -14.9% |
| 2003 | 12.3% | +21.3% |
| 2004 | 13.3% | +8.2% |
| 2005 | 7.9% | -40.5% |
| 2006 | 7.7% | -3.3% |
| 2007 | 5.0% | -35.0% |
| 2008 | 6.7% | +34.1% |
| 2009 | 7.7% | +16.0% |
| 2010 | 9.5% | +23.1% |
| 2011 | 10.9% | +14.7% |
| 2012 | 10.7% | -2.1% |
| 2013 | 12.4% | +15.4% |
| 2014 | 9.3% | -25.0% |
| 2015 | 8.6% | -7.2% |
| 2016 | 9.5% | +10.1% |
| 2017 | 11.6% | +22.6% |
| 2018 | 10.0% | -13.8% |
| 2019 | 9.6% | -4.0% |
| 2020 | 10.7% | +11.3% |
| 2021 | 10.6% | -1.1% |
| 2022 | 11.6% | +9.7% |
| 2023 | 15.4% | +32.7% |
| 2024 | 14.3% | -7.2% |
Kenya compared with similar countries
- Kenya's 14.3% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 6.5%, 2.2× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Kenya's 14.3% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 6.5%, 2.2× the median. (45 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 7.0% | 6.4% | 8.1% | 5 |
| 1980s | 10.0% | 8.4% | 12.1% | 10 |
| 1990s | 10.9% | 7.8% | 13.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 9.2% | 5.0% | 13.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 10.2% | 8.6% | 12.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 12.5% | 10.6% | 15.4% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Kenya
- 20 Oman 14.5% compare
- 21 Ghana 14.5% compare
- 22 El Salvador 14.3% compare
- 24 Ecuador 14.2% compare
- 25 Iran, Islamic Republic of 13.5% compare
- 26 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 13.5% compare
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 insurance and financial services in Kenya?
- Insurance and financial services in Kenya was 14.3% in 2024, according to Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest insurance and financial services recorded in Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 15.4% in 2023.
- What is the lowest insurance and financial services recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.0% in 2007.
- How does Kenya rank for insurance and financial services?
- Kenya ranks 23rd out of 197 countries with data for 2024.
- Is insurance and financial services rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is up 54.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- 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 Insurance and financial services (% of commercial service imports). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Financial services covers services related to financial intermediation, financial risk management, liquidity transformation or auxiliary financial activities. It also includes insurance and pension scheme services which are services related to providing life insurance and annuities, non-life insurance, reinsurance, pensions, standardised guarantees and auxiliary services to insurance, pension schemes, and standardised guarantee schemes. This indicator is expressed as a percentage of service imports which are commercial services provided by non-residents to residents.