Military expenditure in Kenya
Kenya: Military expenditure was 1.0% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
1.0%
Change on year
up 2.5%
World rank
120th
of 164 countries
All-time high
5.5%
in 1979
All-time low
0.1%
in 1962
Years of data
65
1960–2024
Military expenditure in Kenya, 1960–2024
Source: SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
In 2024, military expenditure in Kenya stood at 1.0%.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.5% on the previous year and down 16.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military expenditure in Kenya peaked at 5.5% in 1979 and was at its lowest, 0.1%, in 1962.
Kenya ranks 120th of 164 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Military expenditure in Kenya, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 0.3% | — |
| 1961 | 0.1% | -65.5% |
| 1962 | 0.1% | -31.6% |
| 1963 | 0.2% | +167.1% |
| 1964 | 0.6% | +185.7% |
| 1965 | 1.0% | +67.9% |
| 1966 | 1.1% | +14.4% |
| 1967 | 1.3% | +15.2% |
| 1968 | 1.2% | -6.6% |
| 1969 | 1.1% | -11.3% |
| 1970 | 1.1% | -2.1% |
| 1971 | 1.2% | +16.1% |
| 1972 | 1.5% | +25.6% |
| 1973 | 1.7% | +7.6% |
| 1974 | 1.8% | +7.1% |
| 1975 | 1.9% | +5.7% |
| 1976 | 2.5% | +32.2% |
| 1977 | 3.7% | +50.5% |
| 1978 | 5.2% | +39.0% |
| 1979 | 5.5% | +5.8% |
| 1980 | 4.5% | -17.9% |
| 1981 | 4.2% | -6.4% |
| 1982 | 4.6% | +8.2% |
| 1983 | 4.2% | -8.3% |
| 1984 | 3.5% | -17.1% |
| 1985 | 2.4% | -31.7% |
| 1986 | 2.5% | +5.4% |
| 1987 | 3.1% | +25.2% |
| 1988 | 2.9% | -6.0% |
| 1989 | 2.7% | -6.9% |
| 1990 | 2.9% | +5.4% |
| 1991 | 2.4% | -18.5% |
| 1992 | 1.9% | -19.3% |
| 1993 | 1.8% | -3.3% |
| 1994 | 1.6% | -10.7% |
| 1995 | 1.6% | +0.3% |
| 1996 | 1.4% | -13.9% |
| 1997 | 1.3% | -5.5% |
| 1998 | 1.2% | -9.0% |
| 1999 | 1.2% | -2.7% |
| 2000 | 1.3% | +10.7% |
| 2001 | 1.5% | +14.5% |
| 2002 | 1.6% | +8.5% |
| 2003 | 1.7% | +1.1% |
| 2004 | 1.6% | -2.2% |
| 2005 | 1.7% | +4.7% |
| 2006 | 1.5% | -13.9% |
| 2007 | 1.5% | +6.4% |
| 2008 | 1.6% | +4.4% |
| 2009 | 1.4% | -15.5% |
| 2010 | 1.4% | +0.4% |
| 2011 | 1.4% | +0.7% |
| 2012 | 1.5% | +8.0% |
| 2013 | 1.4% | -6.3% |
| 2014 | 1.2% | -14.0% |
| 2015 | 1.2% | +0.3% |
| 2016 | 1.2% | +3.7% |
| 2017 | 1.2% | -0.8% |
| 2018 | 1.2% | -2.4% |
| 2019 | 1.1% | -7.9% |
| 2020 | 1.1% | -0.4% |
| 2021 | 1.1% | -2.8% |
| 2022 | 1.0% | -6.2% |
| 2023 | 1.0% | -3.4% |
| 2024 | 1.0% | +2.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.7% | 0.1% | 1.3% | 10 |
| 1970s | 2.6% | 1.1% | 5.5% | 10 |
| 1980s | 3.5% | 2.4% | 4.6% | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.7% | 1.2% | 2.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.5% | 1.3% | 1.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.3% | 1.1% | 1.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.0% | 1.0% | 1.1% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Kenya
More public sector data for Kenya
- Arms imports 17.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per capita 0.3012 SIPRI trend indicator values per person (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per unit of GDP 0.0001 SIPRI trend indicator values per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), annual growth rate -75 % change on previous year (2022)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), gaps filled 17.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), per capita 21.82 current USD per person (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), per unit of GDP 0.0102 current USD per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), annual growth rate 16.84 % change on previous year (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), gaps filled 1.23 billion current USD (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per square kilometre 1.72 SIPRI trend indicator values per square kilometre (2022)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military expenditure in Kenya?
- Military expenditure in Kenya was 1.0% in 2024, according to SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
- What is the highest military expenditure recorded in Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 5.5% in 1979.
- What is the lowest military expenditure recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.1% in 1962.
- How does Kenya rank for military expenditure?
- Kenya ranks 120th out of 164 countries with data for 2024.
- Is military expenditure rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is down 16.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Kenya data come from?
- The figures come from SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), published as part of Military expenditure (% of GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Military expenditure by country as percentage of gross domestic product