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Country · KEN

Kenya · Finances and debt

Source: IMF, World Economic Outlook (October 2026) · copied on 2026-11-11

Public finances and external accounts

A fiscal deficit of 6.5 % of GDP

Kenya: in 2025, the general government spent 6.5 % of GDP more than it collected, public debt stood at 71.3 % of GDP, the current account showed a deficit of 2.8 % (IMF).

Fiscal balance · 2025
−6.5 %
of GDP · +1.6 pt since 2020
Public debt · 2025
71.3 %
of GDP · +3.3 pt since 2020
Current account · 2025
−2.8 %
of GDP · +0.9 pt since 2020

Fiscal balance, % of GDP

Negative: a deficit · dashed: estimates and projections

−10 % −8 % −5 % −3 % 0 % 2015 2020 2025 2030 East Africa −3.5 Kenya −5.8 −10 % −8 % −5 % −3 % 0 % 2015 2020 2025 2030
  • Kenya
  • East Africa

Source: IMF, World Economic Outlook (October 2026) · general government net lending or borrowing · group values weighted by GDP in dollars (Syli Atlas)

Current account, % of GDP

Trade, income and transfers with the rest of the world

−6 % −4 % −2 % 0 % 2015 2020 2025 2030 Kenya −3.2 −6 % −4 % −2 % 0 % 2015 2020 2025 2030

Source: IMF, World Economic Outlook (October 2026)

Currency

Kenyan shilling

The Kenyan shilling has no fixed peg: its value against the dollar and the euro moves with the market and the central bank's policy.

Currency
KES
Kenyan shilling
Exchange regime
—
no fixed peg
Inflation · 2025
4.1 %
average annual change in consumer prices

Currency codes: ISO 4217 · fixed parities: central banks (BCEAO, BEAC, Central Bank of the Comoros, Bank of Cape Verde…) · inflation: IMF, World Economic Outlook (October 2026)

Debt

A debt owed first to multilateral lenders

At the end of 2025, Kenya owed 38.8 bn$ in public external debt (World Bank). 12.7 % of it was owed to China, 54.7 % to multilateral institutions and 22.7 % to bond holders.

Public debt · 2025
71.3 %
of GDP · IMF
External debt · 2025
46.3 bn$
public and private · World Bank
Public external debt · 2025
38.8 bn$
owed or guaranteed by the State
Debt service · 2024
25.7 %
of exports of goods, services and income

Risk of debt distress

IMF and World Bank debt sustainability analysis

Latest analysis published on 2024-11-01: high.

Source: IMF, list of debt sustainability analyses of low-income countries, as of 2026-03-31 · imf.org

Public external debt by creditor

Share of the total at the end of each year

2015
2020
2025
Multilateral (IMF, World Bank, AfDB…)
54.7 %
China
12.7 %
Other countries
7.5 %
Bonds (Eurobonds)
22.7 %
Banks and other private lenders
2.4 %

Source: World Bank, International Debt Statistics (updated 2026-11-05) · public and publicly guaranteed external debt, end of year · CC BY 4.0 · shares: Syli Atlas calculation