Merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies outside region in Kenya
Kenya: Merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies outside region was 20.6% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies outside region in Kenya, 1960–2023
Source: Staff estimates, World Bank (WB). Measured in % of total merchandise exports.
Analysis
The most recent figure for merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies outside region in Kenya is 20.6%, measured in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.5% on the previous year and up 7.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies outside region in Kenya peaked at 22.5% in 2017 and was at its lowest, 5.0%, in 1976.
Kenya ranks 67th of 206 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 64 years of available data.
Merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies outside region in Kenya, year by year
| Year | % of total merchandise exports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 7.1% | — |
| 1961 | 6.3% | -11.4% |
| 1962 | 5.7% | -8.7% |
| 1963 | 5.8% | +1.6% |
| 1964 | 7.1% | +20.9% |
| 1965 | 8.4% | +19.0% |
| 1966 | 7.9% | -5.8% |
| 1967 | 9.1% | +15.1% |
| 1968 | 6.1% | -32.4% |
| 1969 | 5.1% | -17.5% |
| 1970 | 6.1% | +20.3% |
| 1971 | 6.0% | -0.8% |
| 1972 | 7.0% | +15.8% |
| 1973 | 6.8% | -2.9% |
| 1974 | 7.0% | +2.2% |
| 1975 | 8.0% | +14.6% |
| 1976 | 5.0% | -37.6% |
| 1977 | 5.5% | +11.2% |
| 1978 | 7.7% | +38.8% |
| 1979 | 8.5% | +10.1% |
| 1980 | 9.8% | +15.4% |
| 1981 | 11.1% | +13.8% |
| 1982 | 8.5% | -23.3% |
| 1983 | 9.5% | +11.5% |
| 1984 | 12.2% | +28.1% |
| 1985 | 12.2% | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 12.2% | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 10.4% | -14.8% |
| 1988 | 7.1% | -32.0% |
| 1989 | 7.1% | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 12.5% | +76.6% |
| 1991 | 15.7% | +25.9% |
| 1992 | 12.9% | -17.9% |
| 1993 | 16.1% | +24.7% |
| 1994 | 13.9% | -13.6% |
| 1995 | 12.9% | -7.3% |
| 1996 | 13.0% | +1.1% |
| 1997 | 13.2% | +1.8% |
| 1998 | 18.7% | +41.4% |
| 1999 | 16.3% | -12.8% |
| 2000 | 19.0% | +16.1% |
| 2001 | 19.2% | +1.2% |
| 2002 | 16.9% | -11.8% |
| 2003 | 16.2% | -4.0% |
| 2004 | 16.9% | +4.0% |
| 2005 | 15.9% | -5.6% |
| 2006 | 16.6% | +4.3% |
| 2007 | 16.4% | -1.5% |
| 2008 | 17.1% | +4.8% |
| 2009 | 16.1% | -6.1% |
| 2010 | 18.7% | +16.5% |
| 2011 | 18.4% | -1.7% |
| 2012 | 18.7% | +1.3% |
| 2013 | 19.1% | +2.5% |
| 2014 | 17.3% | -9.6% |
| 2015 | 19.2% | +11.2% |
| 2016 | 20.6% | +7.1% |
| 2017 | 22.5% | +9.5% |
| 2018 | 22.1% | -2.1% |
| 2019 | 19.2% | -12.9% |
| 2020 | 20.0% | +3.7% |
| 2021 | 18.6% | -6.7% |
| 2022 | 20.1% | +8.0% |
| 2023 | 20.6% | +2.5% |
Kenya compared with similar countries
- Kenya's 20.6% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 19.4%, 1.1× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Kenya's 20.6% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 22.0%, 94% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 6.9% | 5.1% | 9.1% | 10 |
| 1970s | 6.8% | 5.0% | 8.5% | 10 |
| 1980s | 10.0% | 7.1% | 12.2% | 10 |
| 1990s | 14.5% | 12.5% | 18.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 17.0% | 15.9% | 19.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 19.6% | 17.3% | 22.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 19.8% | 18.6% | 20.6% | 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 outside region in Kenya?
- Merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies outside region in Kenya was 20.6% in 2023, according to Staff estimates, World Bank (WB).
- What is the highest merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies outside region recorded in Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 22.5% in 2017.
- What is the lowest merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies outside region recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.0% in 1976.
- How does Kenya rank for merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies outside region?
- Kenya ranks 67th out of 206 countries with data for 2023.
- Is merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies outside region rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is up 7.8%. 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 outside region (% of total merchandise exports). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies outside region are the sum of merchandise exports from the reporting economy to other low- and middle-income economies in other World Bank regions according to the World Bank classification of economies. Data are expressed 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.