Military expenditure in Kenya
Kenya: Military expenditure was 4.4% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Military expenditure in Kenya, 1988–2024
Source: SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Measured in % of general government expenditure.
Analysis
The most recent figure for military expenditure in Kenya is 4.4%, measured in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 3.0% on the previous year and down 13.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military expenditure in Kenya peaked at 10.0% in 1988 and was at its lowest, 4.3%, in 2023.
That places Kenya 97th out of 161 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 37 years of available data.
Military expenditure in Kenya, year by year
| Year | % of general government expenditure | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1988 | 10.0% | — |
| 1989 | 9.0% | -10.3% |
| 1990 | 8.9% | -1.3% |
| 1991 | 7.6% | -14.0% |
| 1992 | 5.9% | -22.8% |
| 1993 | 5.3% | -9.4% |
| 1994 | 5.0% | -6.7% |
| 1995 | 5.4% | +8.7% |
| 1996 | 6.2% | +14.8% |
| 1997 | 5.8% | -7.4% |
| 1998 | 5.4% | -5.6% |
| 1999 | 6.0% | +9.9% |
| 2000 | 6.5% | +8.1% |
| 2001 | 7.0% | +8.4% |
| 2002 | 7.2% | +2.7% |
| 2003 | 7.2% | -0.0% |
| 2004 | 7.4% | +2.8% |
| 2005 | 7.4% | +0.4% |
| 2006 | 7.3% | -1.3% |
| 2007 | 7.5% | +1.9% |
| 2008 | 7.5% | +0.2% |
| 2009 | 6.7% | -9.8% |
| 2010 | 6.4% | -5.6% |
| 2011 | 6.9% | +7.8% |
| 2012 | 6.7% | -1.7% |
| 2013 | 6.0% | -10.9% |
| 2014 | 5.1% | -14.8% |
| 2015 | 5.0% | -1.4% |
| 2016 | 4.9% | -2.6% |
| 2017 | 4.9% | -0.1% |
| 2018 | 4.9% | +0.4% |
| 2019 | 4.6% | -7.6% |
| 2020 | 4.5% | -1.9% |
| 2021 | 4.5% | +0.4% |
| 2022 | 4.4% | -2.8% |
| 2023 | 4.3% | -1.4% |
| 2024 | 4.4% | +3.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 9.5% | 9.0% | 10.0% | 2 |
| 1990s | 6.1% | 5.0% | 8.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 7.2% | 6.5% | 7.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 5.5% | 4.6% | 6.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.4% | 4.3% | 4.5% | 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 4.4% 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 10.0% in 1988.
- What is the lowest military expenditure recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.3% in 2023.
- How does Kenya rank for military expenditure?
- Kenya ranks 97th out of 161 countries with data for 2024.
- Is military expenditure rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is down 13.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- 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 general government expenditure). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Military expenditure expressed as a percentage of general government expenditure