Military spending in Kenya
Kenya: Military spending was 1.36 billion constant 2024 US$ in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
1.36 billion constant 2024 US$
Change on year
up 7.9%
World rank
80th
of 162 countries
All-time high
1.71 billion constant 2024 US$
in 1979
All-time low
32.19 million constant 2024 US$
in 1963
Years of data
63
1963–2025
Military spending in Kenya, 1963–2025
Source: Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in constant 2024 US$.
Analysis
Kenya recorded 1.36 billion constant 2024 US$ for military spending in 2025.
That represents a change of up 7.9% on the previous year and up 28.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military spending in Kenya peaked at 1.71 billion constant 2024 US$ in 1979 and was at its lowest, 32.19 million constant 2024 US$, in 1963.
Kenya ranks 80th of 162 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Military spending in Kenya, year by year
| Year | constant 2024 US$ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1963 | 32.19 million constant 2024 US$ | — |
| 1964 | 101.76 million constant 2024 US$ | +216.1% |
| 1965 | 165.38 million constant 2024 US$ | +62.5% |
| 1966 | 207.61 million constant 2024 US$ | +25.5% |
| 1967 | 249.99 million constant 2024 US$ | +20.4% |
| 1968 | 254.96 million constant 2024 US$ | +2.0% |
| 1969 | 245.79 million constant 2024 US$ | -3.6% |
| 1970 | 259.98 million constant 2024 US$ | +5.8% |
| 1971 | 324.88 million constant 2024 US$ | +25.0% |
| 1972 | 413.46 million constant 2024 US$ | +27.3% |
| 1973 | 466.69 million constant 2024 US$ | +12.9% |
| 1974 | 504.48 million constant 2024 US$ | +8.1% |
| 1975 | 504.17 million constant 2024 US$ | -0.1% |
| 1976 | 723.37 million constant 2024 US$ | +43.5% |
| 1977 | 1.21 billion constant 2024 US$ | +67.7% |
| 1978 | 1.57 billion constant 2024 US$ | +29.4% |
| 1979 | 1.71 billion constant 2024 US$ | +8.8% |
| 1980 | 1.39 billion constant 2024 US$ | -18.6% |
| 1981 | 1.35 billion constant 2024 US$ | -3.0% |
| 1982 | 1.36 billion constant 2024 US$ | +1.1% |
| 1983 | 1.28 billion constant 2024 US$ | -6.3% |
| 1984 | 1.05 billion constant 2024 US$ | -17.7% |
| 1985 | 884.03 million constant 2024 US$ | -16.0% |
| 1986 | 1.06 billion constant 2024 US$ | +19.7% |
| 1987 | 1.36 billion constant 2024 US$ | +28.7% |
| 1988 | 1.31 billion constant 2024 US$ | -3.5% |
| 1989 | 1.22 billion constant 2024 US$ | -7.2% |
| 1990 | 1.24 billion constant 2024 US$ | +2.0% |
| 1991 | 967.97 million constant 2024 US$ | -22.2% |
| 1992 | 723.90 million constant 2024 US$ | -25.2% |
| 1993 | 604.80 million constant 2024 US$ | -16.5% |
| 1994 | 503.63 million constant 2024 US$ | -16.7% |
| 1995 | 578.23 million constant 2024 US$ | +14.8% |
| 1996 | 675.75 million constant 2024 US$ | +16.9% |
| 1997 | 642.36 million constant 2024 US$ | -4.9% |
| 1998 | 605.03 million constant 2024 US$ | -5.8% |
| 1999 | 588.87 million constant 2024 US$ | -2.7% |
| 2000 | 632.14 million constant 2024 US$ | +7.3% |
| 2001 | 727.47 million constant 2024 US$ | +15.1% |
| 2002 | 782.99 million constant 2024 US$ | +7.6% |
| 2003 | 790.53 million constant 2024 US$ | +1.0% |
| 2004 | 780.05 million constant 2024 US$ | -1.3% |
| 2005 | 822.82 million constant 2024 US$ | +5.5% |
| 2006 | 813.84 million constant 2024 US$ | -1.1% |
| 2007 | 911.28 million constant 2024 US$ | +12.0% |
| 2008 | 869.73 million constant 2024 US$ | -4.6% |
| 2009 | 887.35 million constant 2024 US$ | +2.0% |
| 2010 | 940.81 million constant 2024 US$ | +6.0% |
| 2011 | 961.46 million constant 2024 US$ | +2.2% |
| 2012 | 1.09 billion constant 2024 US$ | +13.0% |
| 2013 | 1.07 billion constant 2024 US$ | -1.3% |
| 2014 | 975.48 million constant 2024 US$ | -9.1% |
| 2015 | 1.05 billion constant 2024 US$ | +7.9% |
| 2016 | 1.13 billion constant 2024 US$ | +7.6% |
| 2017 | 1.16 billion constant 2024 US$ | +2.6% |
| 2018 | 1.19 billion constant 2024 US$ | +2.6% |
| 2019 | 1.14 billion constant 2024 US$ | -4.0% |
| 2020 | 1.13 billion constant 2024 US$ | -1.1% |
| 2021 | 1.16 billion constant 2024 US$ | +2.8% |
| 2022 | 1.14 billion constant 2024 US$ | -2.3% |
| 2023 | 1.14 billion constant 2024 US$ | +0.5% |
| 2024 | 1.26 billion constant 2024 US$ | +10.0% |
| 2025 | 1.36 billion constant 2024 US$ | +7.9% |
Kenya compared with similar countries
- Kenya's 1.36 billion constant 2024 US$ is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 557.82 million constant 2024 US$, 2.4× the median. (39 countries reporting)
- Kenya's 1.36 billion constant 2024 US$ is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 336.91 million constant 2024 US$, 4.0× the median. (45 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Military spending in Kenya changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 | +216.1% | 32.19 million constant 2024 US$ | 101.76 million constant 2024 US$ |
| 1977 | +67.7% | 723.37 million constant 2024 US$ | 1.21 billion constant 2024 US$ |
| 1965 | +62.5% | 101.76 million constant 2024 US$ | 165.38 million constant 2024 US$ |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 179.67 million constant 2024 US$ | 32.19 million constant 2024 US$ | 254.96 million constant 2024 US$ | 7 |
| 1970s | 768.93 million constant 2024 US$ | 259.98 million constant 2024 US$ | 1.71 billion constant 2024 US$ | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.23 billion constant 2024 US$ | 884.03 million constant 2024 US$ | 1.39 billion constant 2024 US$ | 10 |
| 1990s | 713.41 million constant 2024 US$ | 503.63 million constant 2024 US$ | 1.24 billion constant 2024 US$ | 10 |
| 2000s | 801.82 million constant 2024 US$ | 632.14 million constant 2024 US$ | 911.28 million constant 2024 US$ | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.07 billion constant 2024 US$ | 940.81 million constant 2024 US$ | 1.19 billion constant 2024 US$ | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.20 billion constant 2024 US$ | 1.13 billion constant 2024 US$ | 1.36 billion constant 2024 US$ | 6 |
Countries ranked near Kenya
- 77 Bahrain 1.46 billion constant 2024 US$ compare
- 78 Estonia 1.44 billion constant 2024 US$ compare
- 79 Sri Lanka 1.36 billion constant 2024 US$ compare
- 81 Tunisia 1.35 billion constant 2024 US$ compare
- 82 Kazakhstan 1.31 billion constant 2024 US$ compare
- 83 Angola 1.26 billion constant 2024 US$ compare
More reference data data for Kenya
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.5379 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 12.22 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 14.55 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.377 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 14.55 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 1.8 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 1.1 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 58.05 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 68.95 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 2.05 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military spending in Kenya?
- Military spending in Kenya was 1.36 billion constant 2024 US$ in 2025, according to Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest military spending recorded in Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 1.71 billion constant 2024 US$ in 1979.
- What is the lowest military spending recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 32.19 million constant 2024 US$ in 1963.
- How does Kenya rank for military spending?
- Kenya ranks 80th out of 162 countries with data for 2025.
- Is military spending rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is up 28.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Kenya data come from?
- The figures come from Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (2026) – 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 — 63 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
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.