Military spending in Kenya

Kenya: Military spending was 1.40 billion constant 2022 US$ in 2023. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2023)
1.40 billion constant 2022 US$
Change on year
up 4.6%
World rank
79th
of 172 countries
All-time high
1.52 billion constant 2022 US$
in 2019
All-time low
25.95 million constant 2022 US$
in 1963
Years of data
61
1963–2023

Military spending in Kenya, 1963–2023

0500.0M1.0B1.5B196319932023

Source: Barnum et al. - Global Military Spending Dataset (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in constant 2022 US$.

Analysis

The most recent figure for military spending in Kenya is 1.40 billion constant 2022 US$, measured in 2023.

The figure is up 4.6% on the previous year and up 31.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, military spending in Kenya peaked at 1.52 billion constant 2022 US$ in 2019 and was at its lowest, 25.95 million constant 2022 US$, in 1963.

Kenya ranks 79th of 172 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.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1960s 79.18 million constant 2022 US$ 25.95 million constant 2022 US$ 108.53 million constant 2022 US$ 7
1970s 259.71 million constant 2022 US$ 105.98 million constant 2022 US$ 725.97 million constant 2022 US$ 10
1980s 436.50 million constant 2022 US$ 355.25 million constant 2022 US$ 623.30 million constant 2022 US$ 10
1990s 362.64 million constant 2022 US$ 309.67 million constant 2022 US$ 416.17 million constant 2022 US$ 10
2000s 526.34 million constant 2022 US$ 362.92 million constant 2022 US$ 800.60 million constant 2022 US$ 10
2010s 1.17 billion constant 2022 US$ 780.87 million constant 2022 US$ 1.52 billion constant 2022 US$ 10
2020s 1.41 billion constant 2022 US$ 1.33 billion constant 2022 US$ 1.46 billion constant 2022 US$ 4

Countries ranked near Kenya

  1. 76 Sri Lanka 1.52 billion constant 2022 US$ compare
  2. 78 Tunisia 1.44 billion constant 2022 US$ compare
  3. 80 Belarus 1.36 billion constant 2022 US$ compare
  4. 81 Serbia 1.25 billion constant 2022 US$ compare
  5. 82 Estonia 1.19 billion constant 2022 US$ compare

See the full ranking of 172 places →

More reference data data for Kenya

All data for Kenya →

Frequently asked questions

What is military spending in Kenya?
Military spending in Kenya was 1.40 billion constant 2022 US$ in 2023, according to Barnum et al. - Global Military Spending Dataset (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest military spending recorded in Kenya?
The highest recorded value was 1.52 billion constant 2022 US$ in 2019.
What is the lowest military spending recorded in Kenya?
The lowest recorded value was 25.95 million constant 2022 US$ in 1963.
How does Kenya rank for military spending?
Kenya ranks 79th out of 172 countries with data for 2023.
Is military spending rising or falling in Kenya?
Over the last ten years it is up 31.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Kenya data come from?
The figures come from Barnum et al. - Global Military Spending Dataset (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Military spending. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 61 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Military spending
Unit
constant 2022 US$
Source
Barnum et al. - Global Military Spending Dataset (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
172 places, 15,402 data points, 1816–2023
Last refreshed

This data is expressed in US dollars. It is adjusted for inflation but does not account for differences in the cost of living between countries.