Travel services (% of commercial service exports) in Kenya
Kenya: Travel services (% of commercial service exports) was 48.2% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Travel services in Kenya, 1975–2025
Source: Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of commercial service exports.
Analysis
The most recent figure for travel services in Kenya is 48.2%, measured in 2025.
The figure is up 3.3% on the previous year and up 147.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, travel services in Kenya peaked at 67.2% in 1989 and was at its lowest, 19.5%, in 2015.
Kenya ranks 75th of 198 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 51 years of available data.
Travel services (% of commercial service exports) in Kenya, year by year
| Year | % of commercial service exports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 35.6% | — |
| 1976 | 34.0% | -4.4% |
| 1977 | 40.3% | +18.7% |
| 1978 | 42.2% | +4.6% |
| 1979 | 40.3% | -4.4% |
| 1980 | 45.8% | +13.7% |
| 1981 | 53.6% | +17.1% |
| 1982 | 56.1% | +4.7% |
| 1983 | 53.9% | -4.0% |
| 1984 | 54.5% | +1.1% |
| 1985 | 60.1% | +10.3% |
| 1986 | 64.9% | +7.9% |
| 1987 | 65.0% | +0.2% |
| 1988 | 66.4% | +2.2% |
| 1989 | 67.2% | +1.2% |
| 1990 | 60.2% | -10.5% |
| 1991 | 58.4% | -2.9% |
| 1992 | 58.4% | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 38.7% | -33.7% |
| 1994 | 37.3% | -3.5% |
| 1995 | 35.6% | -4.7% |
| 1996 | 39.5% | +11.0% |
| 1997 | 39.5% | -0.1% |
| 1998 | 38.0% | -3.9% |
| 1999 | 34.1% | -10.3% |
| 2000 | 38.7% | +13.6% |
| 2001 | 37.3% | -3.5% |
| 2002 | 35.6% | -4.7% |
| 2003 | 39.5% | +11.0% |
| 2004 | 39.5% | -0.1% |
| 2005 | 38.0% | -3.9% |
| 2006 | 34.6% | -8.8% |
| 2007 | 37.9% | +9.6% |
| 2008 | 29.7% | -21.6% |
| 2009 | 31.4% | +5.6% |
| 2010 | 26.5% | -15.5% |
| 2011 | 27.7% | +4.3% |
| 2012 | 23.3% | -15.8% |
| 2013 | 21.0% | -10.0% |
| 2014 | 19.7% | -6.1% |
| 2015 | 19.5% | -0.9% |
| 2016 | 24.5% | +25.3% |
| 2017 | 24.2% | -1.1% |
| 2018 | 23.2% | -4.2% |
| 2019 | 21.8% | -6.1% |
| 2020 | 27.1% | +24.4% |
| 2021 | 28.0% | +3.6% |
| 2022 | 34.3% | +22.2% |
| 2023 | 43.1% | +26.0% |
| 2024 | 46.7% | +8.2% |
| 2025 | 48.2% | +3.3% |
Kenya compared with similar countries
- Kenya's 48.2% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 38.7%, 1.2× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Kenya's 48.2% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 43.9%, 1.1× the median. (46 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 38.5% | 34.0% | 42.2% | 5 |
| 1980s | 58.8% | 45.8% | 67.2% | 10 |
| 1990s | 44.0% | 34.1% | 60.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 36.2% | 29.7% | 39.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 23.1% | 19.5% | 27.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 37.9% | 27.1% | 48.2% | 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)
- Manufactures exports 29.7% (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)
Frequently asked questions
- What is travel services in Kenya?
- Travel services in Kenya was 48.2% in 2025, according to Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest travel services recorded in Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 67.2% in 1989.
- What is the lowest travel services recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 19.5% in 2015.
- How does Kenya rank for travel services?
- Kenya ranks 75th out of 198 countries with data for 2025.
- Is travel services rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is up 147.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- 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 Travel services (% of commercial service exports). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Travel services cover goods and services for own use or to give away acquired from an economy by nonresidents during visits to that economy, or acquired from other economies by residents during visits to these other economies. This indicator is expressed as a percentage of service exports which are commercial services provided by residents to non-residents.