Analysis and Studies - Country Analysis
Kenya: a look at the market
February 14th 2025
Overview
In 2022, Kenya ranked as the 66th largest economy in the world by GDP (current US$), the 115th in total exports, and the 80th in total imports. It was also ranked 148th in GDP per capita (current US$) and 87th in terms of economic complexity, according to the Economic Complexity Index (ECI).
Exports
Kenya’s leading exports include Tea ($1.39B), Cut Flowers ($665M), Coffee ($341M), Titanium Ore ($290M), and Tropical Fruits ($227M). The primary export destinations for these products are the United States ($722M), Uganda ($677M), Pakistan ($541M), the Netherlands ($502M), and Rwanda ($439M).
Imports
Kenya’s top imports consist of Refined Petroleum ($5.41B), Palm Oil ($1.28B), Wheat ($576M), Packaged Medicaments ($524M), and Cars ($523M). The largest suppliers of these imports are China ($6.55B), the United Arab Emirates ($3.6B), India ($2.72B), Malaysia ($1.1B), and Saudi Arabia ($929M).
Location
Kenya shares land borders with Ethiopia, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda.
Most Specialized Products by RCA Index
Kenya shows a high degree of specialization in Tea (551), Titanium Ore (274), Coconut and Other Vegetable Fibers (230), Cut Flowers (222), and Legumes (152). This level of specialization is measured using the RCA index, which compares Kenya's actual exports to the expected exports for each product.
Data sourced from BACI HS6 REV. 1992 (1995 - 2022).
Most Complex Products by PCI
According to the Product Complexity Index (PCI), Kenya's most complex exports include Prepared Glues and Other Adhesives (1.01), Aluminium Containers for Compressed or Liquefied Gas (1.01), Pigments (metallic powders and flakes) in non-aqueous media (0.86), Trailers and Semi-Trailers (0.85), and Iron or Non-Alloy Steel Flat-Rolled Products (0.83). The PCI measures the knowledge intensity of a product by evaluating the expertise of its exporters.
Data sourced from BACI HS6 REV. 1992 (1995 - 2022) and OEC Economic Complexity Indicators.
Export Opportunities by Relatedness
Based on the relatedness index, Kenya's top export opportunities include Cassava (0.31), Crustaceans (0.31), Bananas (0.3), Raw Sugar (0.3), and Raw Cotton (0.3). The relatedness index measures the proximity between a country's current exports and potential products. The bar chart displays only those products in which Kenya is not currently specialized.
Source: https://oec.world/
