Debt service on external debt, total in Kenya
Kenya: Debt service on external debt, total was 5.67 billion TDS, current US$ in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
5.67 billion TDS, current US$
Change on year
up 46.4%
World rank
30th
of 122 countries
All-time high
5.67 billion TDS, current US$
in 2024
All-time low
48.32 million TDS, current US$
in 1972
Years of data
55
1970–2024
Debt service on external debt, total in Kenya, 1970–2024
Source: International Debt Statistics, World Bank (WB). Measured in TDS, current US$.
Analysis
In 2024, debt service on external debt, total in Kenya stood at 5.67 billion TDS, current US$. That is the highest value across all 55 years on record.
That represents a change of up 46.4% on the previous year and up 325.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, debt service on external debt, total in Kenya peaked at 5.67 billion TDS, current US$ in 2024 and was at its lowest, 48.32 million TDS, current US$, in 1972.
That places Kenya 30th out of 122 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Debt service on external debt, total in Kenya, year by year
| Year | TDS, current US$ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 50.02 million TDS, current US$ | — |
| 1971 | 52.44 million TDS, current US$ | +4.8% |
| 1972 | 48.32 million TDS, current US$ | -7.8% |
| 1973 | 65.21 million TDS, current US$ | +35.0% |
| 1974 | 97.59 million TDS, current US$ | +49.7% |
| 1975 | 151.03 million TDS, current US$ | +54.8% |
| 1976 | 169.27 million TDS, current US$ | +12.1% |
| 1977 | 325.99 million TDS, current US$ | +92.6% |
| 1978 | 215.71 million TDS, current US$ | -33.8% |
| 1979 | 299.35 million TDS, current US$ | +38.8% |
| 1980 | 433.45 million TDS, current US$ | +44.8% |
| 1981 | 485.01 million TDS, current US$ | +11.9% |
| 1982 | 496.85 million TDS, current US$ | +2.4% |
| 1983 | 515.00 million TDS, current US$ | +3.7% |
| 1984 | 578.70 million TDS, current US$ | +12.4% |
| 1985 | 621.21 million TDS, current US$ | +7.3% |
| 1986 | 677.34 million TDS, current US$ | +9.0% |
| 1987 | 691.39 million TDS, current US$ | +2.1% |
| 1988 | 737.64 million TDS, current US$ | +6.7% |
| 1989 | 708.84 million TDS, current US$ | -3.9% |
| 1990 | 790.87 million TDS, current US$ | +11.6% |
| 1991 | 719.36 million TDS, current US$ | -9.0% |
| 1992 | 670.24 million TDS, current US$ | -6.8% |
| 1993 | 631.95 million TDS, current US$ | -5.7% |
| 1994 | 881.29 million TDS, current US$ | +39.5% |
| 1995 | 904.43 million TDS, current US$ | +2.6% |
| 1996 | 837.69 million TDS, current US$ | -7.4% |
| 1997 | 656.78 million TDS, current US$ | -21.6% |
| 1998 | 662.68 million TDS, current US$ | +0.9% |
| 1999 | 694.62 million TDS, current US$ | +4.8% |
| 2000 | 592.88 million TDS, current US$ | -14.6% |
| 2001 | 485.45 million TDS, current US$ | -18.1% |
| 2002 | 531.61 million TDS, current US$ | +9.5% |
| 2003 | 581.23 million TDS, current US$ | +9.3% |
| 2004 | 358.44 million TDS, current US$ | -38.3% |
| 2005 | 540.86 million TDS, current US$ | +50.9% |
| 2006 | 431.41 million TDS, current US$ | -20.2% |
| 2007 | 457.38 million TDS, current US$ | +6.0% |
| 2008 | 413.75 million TDS, current US$ | -9.5% |
| 2009 | 389.17 million TDS, current US$ | -5.9% |
| 2010 | 402.17 million TDS, current US$ | +3.3% |
| 2011 | 442.13 million TDS, current US$ | +9.9% |
| 2012 | 537.11 million TDS, current US$ | +21.5% |
| 2013 | 535.13 million TDS, current US$ | -0.4% |
| 2014 | 1.33 billion TDS, current US$ | +149.3% |
| 2015 | 890.35 million TDS, current US$ | -33.2% |
| 2016 | 1.12 billion TDS, current US$ | +25.7% |
| 2017 | 1.55 billion TDS, current US$ | +38.2% |
| 2018 | 2.79 billion TDS, current US$ | +80.5% |
| 2019 | 4.49 billion TDS, current US$ | +60.9% |
| 2020 | 2.83 billion TDS, current US$ | -36.9% |
| 2021 | 2.45 billion TDS, current US$ | -13.7% |
| 2022 | 3.34 billion TDS, current US$ | +36.4% |
| 2023 | 3.87 billion TDS, current US$ | +16.1% |
| 2024 | 5.67 billion TDS, current US$ | +46.4% |
Kenya compared with similar countries
- Kenya's 5.67 billion TDS, current US$ is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 1.79 billion TDS, current US$, 3.2× the median. (43 countries reporting)
- Kenya's 5.67 billion TDS, current US$ is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 421.48 million TDS, current US$, 13.5× the median. (44 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Debt service on external debt, total in Kenya changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | +149.3% | 535.13 million TDS, current US$ | 1.33 billion TDS, current US$ |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 147.49 million TDS, current US$ | 48.32 million TDS, current US$ | 325.99 million TDS, current US$ | 10 |
| 1980s | 594.54 million TDS, current US$ | 433.45 million TDS, current US$ | 737.64 million TDS, current US$ | 10 |
| 1990s | 744.99 million TDS, current US$ | 631.95 million TDS, current US$ | 904.43 million TDS, current US$ | 10 |
| 2000s | 478.22 million TDS, current US$ | 358.44 million TDS, current US$ | 592.88 million TDS, current US$ | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.41 billion TDS, current US$ | 402.17 million TDS, current US$ | 4.49 billion TDS, current US$ | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.63 billion TDS, current US$ | 2.45 billion TDS, current US$ | 5.67 billion TDS, current US$ | 5 |
Countries ranked near Kenya
- 27 Bulgaria 7.32 billion TDS, current US$ compare
- 28 Dominican Republic 6.61 billion TDS, current US$ compare
- 29 Papua New Guinea 5.88 billion TDS, current US$ compare
- 31 Tunisia 5.51 billion TDS, current US$ compare
- 32 Mongolia 5.42 billion TDS, current US$ compare
- 33 Cote d'Ivoire 5.39 billion TDS, current US$ compare
More external debt data for Kenya
- IFC, private nonguaranteed -18.53 million NFL, US$ (2024)
- IFC, private nonguaranteed (NFL, US$), per capita -0.3284 NFL, US$ per person (2024)
- IFC, private nonguaranteed (NFL, US$), per unit of GDP -0.0002 NFL, US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- IFC, private nonguaranteed (NFL, US$), per square kilometre 23.21 NFL, US$ per square kilometre (2023)
- Public and publicly guaranteed debt service 4.5% (2024)
- Net financial flows, IDA 820.39 million NFL, current US$ (2024)
- Net financial flows, IDA (NFL, current US$), per capita 14.54 NFL, current US$ per person (2024)
- Net financial flows, IDA (NFL, current US$), per unit of GDP 0.0068 NFL, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Net financial flows, IBRD 869.28 million NFL, current US$ (2024)
- Public and publicly guaranteed debt service 25.4% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is debt service on external debt, total in Kenya?
- Debt service on external debt, total in Kenya was 5.67 billion TDS, current US$ in 2024, according to International Debt Statistics, World Bank (WB).
- What is the highest debt service on external debt, total recorded in Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 5.67 billion TDS, current US$ in 2024.
- What is the lowest debt service on external debt, total recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 48.32 million TDS, current US$ in 1972.
- How does Kenya rank for debt service on external debt, total?
- Kenya ranks 30th out of 122 countries with data for 2024.
- Is debt service on external debt, total rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is up 325.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Kenya data come from?
- The figures come from International Debt Statistics, World Bank (WB), published as part of Debt service on external debt, total (TDS, current US$). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 55 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Total debt service is the sum of principal repayments and interest actually paid in currency, goods, or services on long-term debt, interest paid on short-term debt, and repayments (repurchases and charges) to the IMF. Data are in current U.S. dollars.