Merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies in South Asia in Kenya
Kenya: Merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies in South Asia was 9.5% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies in South Asia in Kenya, 1960–2023
Source: Staff estimates, World Bank (WB). Measured in % of total merchandise exports.
Analysis
Kenya recorded 9.5% for merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies in south asia in 2023.
That represents a change of up 8.2% on the previous year and down 8.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies in south asia in Kenya peaked at 12.5% in 2017 and was at its lowest, 2.1%, in 1977.
Kenya ranks 26th of 205 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 64 years of available data.
Merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies in South Asia in Kenya, year by year
| Year | % of total merchandise exports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 4.9% | — |
| 1961 | 4.9% | +1.0% |
| 1962 | 3.8% | -22.1% |
| 1963 | 3.5% | -9.9% |
| 1964 | 4.3% | +23.5% |
| 1965 | 4.2% | -2.5% |
| 1966 | 3.7% | -10.5% |
| 1967 | 3.9% | +4.8% |
| 1968 | 2.5% | -34.9% |
| 1969 | 2.2% | -12.2% |
| 1970 | 3.5% | +55.4% |
| 1971 | 2.6% | -25.4% |
| 1972 | 3.1% | +21.8% |
| 1973 | 2.5% | -21.1% |
| 1974 | 3.0% | +19.4% |
| 1975 | 3.2% | +7.4% |
| 1976 | 2.6% | -18.5% |
| 1977 | 2.1% | -20.3% |
| 1978 | 2.9% | +41.2% |
| 1979 | 3.8% | +29.8% |
| 1980 | 4.6% | +20.6% |
| 1981 | 5.5% | +20.2% |
| 1982 | 4.8% | -13.6% |
| 1983 | 6.5% | +36.7% |
| 1984 | 8.1% | +24.4% |
| 1985 | 8.1% | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 8.1% | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 7.1% | -12.0% |
| 1988 | 3.9% | -44.7% |
| 1989 | 3.9% | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 7.1% | +80.7% |
| 1991 | 8.9% | +25.0% |
| 1992 | 7.6% | -14.3% |
| 1993 | 8.8% | +15.2% |
| 1994 | 8.6% | -1.8% |
| 1995 | 7.3% | -14.6% |
| 1996 | 6.0% | -18.7% |
| 1997 | 7.7% | +29.3% |
| 1998 | 11.0% | +42.6% |
| 1999 | 10.1% | -8.4% |
| 2000 | 10.6% | +4.7% |
| 2001 | 10.4% | -1.9% |
| 2002 | 9.4% | -9.3% |
| 2003 | 9.7% | +3.4% |
| 2004 | 9.4% | -3.6% |
| 2005 | 8.2% | -12.3% |
| 2006 | 8.4% | +2.5% |
| 2007 | 8.2% | -2.1% |
| 2008 | 7.8% | -5.0% |
| 2009 | 8.5% | +8.1% |
| 2010 | 9.9% | +16.9% |
| 2011 | 9.0% | -9.1% |
| 2012 | 9.1% | +1.6% |
| 2013 | 10.3% | +13.1% |
| 2014 | 8.2% | -20.3% |
| 2015 | 10.4% | +26.0% |
| 2016 | 11.0% | +6.4% |
| 2017 | 12.5% | +13.1% |
| 2018 | 12.0% | -4.1% |
| 2019 | 9.3% | -21.9% |
| 2020 | 10.7% | +14.7% |
| 2021 | 8.8% | -17.5% |
| 2022 | 8.8% | -0.7% |
| 2023 | 9.5% | +8.2% |
Kenya compared with similar countries
- Kenya's 9.5% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 2.6%, 3.6× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Kenya's 9.5% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 3.6%, 2.6× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 3.8% | 2.2% | 4.9% | 10 |
| 1970s | 2.9% | 2.1% | 3.8% | 10 |
| 1980s | 6.1% | 3.9% | 8.1% | 10 |
| 1990s | 8.3% | 6.0% | 11.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 9.1% | 7.8% | 10.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 10.2% | 8.2% | 12.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 9.5% | 8.8% | 10.7% | 4 |
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 merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies in south asia in Kenya?
- Merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies in south asia in Kenya was 9.5% in 2023, according to Staff estimates, World Bank (WB).
- What is the highest merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies in south asia recorded in Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 12.5% in 2017.
- What is the lowest merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies in south asia recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.1% in 1977.
- How does Kenya rank for merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies in south asia?
- Kenya ranks 26th out of 205 countries with data for 2023.
- Is merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies in south asia rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is down 8.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Kenya data come from?
- The figures come from Staff estimates, World Bank (WB), published as part of Merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies in South Asia (% of total merchandise exports). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies in South Asia are the sum of merchandise exports from the reporting economy to low- and middle-income economies in the South Asia region according to World Bank classification of economies. Data are as a percentage of total merchandise exports by the economy. Data are computed only if at least half of the economies in the partner country group had non-missing data.