Manufactures exports (% of merchandise exports) in Kenya
Kenya: Manufactures exports (% of merchandise exports) was 29.7% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Manufactures exports in Kenya, 1976–2025
Source: Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division. Measured in % of merchandise exports.
Analysis
Kenya recorded 29.7% for manufactures exports in 2025.
The figure is down 3.3% on the previous year and down 5.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, manufactures exports in Kenya peaked at 36.8% in 2007 and was at its lowest, 9.9%, in 1984.
Kenya ranks 100th of 196 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 45 years of available data.
Manufactures exports (% of merchandise exports) in Kenya, year by year
| Year | % of merchandise exports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1976 | 15.4% | — |
| 1977 | 10.0% | -35.2% |
| 1978 | 13.0% | +30.8% |
| 1979 | 13.7% | +4.9% |
| 1980 | 12.1% | -11.4% |
| 1981 | 11.3% | -6.6% |
| 1982 | 12.1% | +6.5% |
| 1983 | 11.6% | -3.9% |
| 1984 | 9.9% | -14.5% |
| 1985 | 11.4% | +14.9% |
| 1986 | 10.5% | -7.8% |
| 1987 | 12.5% | +19.4% |
| 1990 | 29.2% | +133.1% |
| 1991 | 20.1% | -31.2% |
| 1992 | 35.9% | +78.1% |
| 1993 | 28.0% | -22.0% |
| 1994 | 28.8% | +3.0% |
| 1995 | 27.6% | -4.4% |
| 1996 | 26.3% | -4.4% |
| 1997 | 25.2% | -4.2% |
| 1998 | 23.6% | -6.5% |
| 1999 | 22.1% | -6.2% |
| 2000 | 20.7% | -6.5% |
| 2001 | 23.1% | +11.7% |
| 2002 | 23.7% | +2.7% |
| 2003 | 24.1% | +1.5% |
| 2004 | 25.6% | +6.3% |
| 2005 | 31.9% | +24.6% |
| 2006 | 35.5% | +11.4% |
| 2007 | 36.8% | +3.6% |
| 2008 | 36.5% | -0.8% |
| 2009 | 36.4% | -0.2% |
| 2010 | 33.9% | -6.8% |
| 2013 | 36.3% | +6.9% |
| 2015 | 31.5% | -13.2% |
| 2016 | 31.5% | -0.0% |
| 2017 | 28.3% | -10.1% |
| 2018 | 28.4% | +0.5% |
| 2019 | 30.8% | +8.3% |
| 2020 | 27.9% | -9.3% |
| 2021 | 30.2% | +8.0% |
| 2022 | 30.8% | +2.0% |
| 2023 | 30.7% | -0.1% |
| 2024 | 30.7% | -0.0% |
| 2025 | 29.7% | -3.3% |
Kenya compared with similar countries
- Kenya's 29.7% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 22.3%, 1.3× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Kenya's 29.7% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 9.5%, 3.1× the median. (46 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Manufactures exports (% of merchandise exports) in Kenya changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | +133.1% | 12.5% | 29.2% |
| 1992 | +78.1% | 20.1% | 35.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 13.0% | 10.0% | 15.4% | 4 |
| 1980s | 11.4% | 9.9% | 12.5% | 8 |
| 1990s | 26.7% | 20.1% | 35.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 29.4% | 20.7% | 36.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 31.5% | 28.3% | 36.3% | 7 |
| 2020s | 30.0% | 27.9% | 30.8% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Kenya
More private sector data for Kenya
- Merchandise trade 22.2% (2025)
- Food imports 16.6% (2025)
- Manufactures imports 58.3% (2025)
- Merchandise imports 21.61 billion current US$ (2025)
- Commercial service imports 5.73 billion current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 50.8% (2025)
- Merchandise exports 8.60 billion current US$ (2025)
- Commercial service exports 7.93 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)
Frequently asked questions
- What is manufactures exports in Kenya?
- Manufactures exports in Kenya was 29.7% in 2025, according to Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division.
- What is the highest manufactures exports recorded in Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 36.8% in 2007.
- What is the lowest manufactures exports recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.9% in 1984.
- How does Kenya rank for manufactures exports?
- Kenya ranks 100th out of 196 countries with data for 2025.
- Is manufactures exports rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is down 5.6%. 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 Manufactures exports (% of merchandise exports). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Manufactures comprise commodities in SITC (Rev. 3) sections 5 (chemicals), 6 (basic manufactures), 7 (machinery and transport equipment), and 8 (miscellaneous manufactured goods), excluding division 68 (non-ferrous metals). This indicator is expressed as a percentage of merchandise exports which is comprised of goods whose economic ownership is changed between a resident and a non-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.