Net food imports by crop - Wheat in Kenya

Kenya: Net food imports by crop - Wheat was 1.97 million in 2019. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2019)
1.97 million
Change on year
up 14.4%
World rank
24th
of 175 countries
All-time high
1.97 million
in 2019
All-time low
-344
in 1970
Years of data
59
1961–2019

Net food imports by crop - Wheat in Kenya, 1961–2019

0500.0k1.0M1.5M2.0M196119902019

Source: FAOSTAT. Available at: http://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data.

Analysis

Kenya recorded 1.97 million for net food imports by crop - wheat in 2019. That is the highest value across all 59 years on record.

The figure is up 14.4% on the previous year and up 153.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, net food imports by crop - wheat in Kenya peaked at 1.97 million in 2019 and was at its lowest, -344, in 1970.

Kenya ranks 24th of 175 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Net food imports by crop - Wheat in Kenya, year by year

Annual values for Net food imports by crop - Wheat in Kenya, 1961 to 2019.
Year Value Change
1961 13,000 —
1962 52,500 +303.8%
1963 12,100 -77.0%
1964 49 -99.6%
1965 5,999 +12142.9%
1966 24,950 +315.9%
1967 4,507 -81.9%
1968 197 -95.6%
1969 -14 -107.1%
1970 -344 +2357.1%
1971 12,694 -3790.1%
1972 65,743 +417.9%
1973 76,931 +17.0%
1974 11,575 -85.0%
1975 81,940 +607.9%
1976 -164 -100.2%
1977 32,177 -19720.1%
1978 90,680 +181.8%
1979 18,952 -79.1%
1980 48,411 +155.4%
1981 49,207 +1.6%
1982 139,123 +182.7%
1983 81,786 -41.2%
1984 149,896 +83.3%
1985 143,793 -4.1%
1986 115,282 -19.8%
1987 217,857 +89.0%
1988 75,578 -65.3%
1989 123,535 +63.5%
1990 322,622 +161.2%
1991 257,823 -20.1%
1992 132,568 -48.6%
1993 366,647 +176.6%
1994 353,076 -3.7%
1995 249,085 -29.5%
1996 486,838 +95.5%
1997 388,138 -20.3%
1998 478,864 +23.4%
1999 583,818 +21.9%
2000 632,145 +8.3%
2001 637,953 +0.9%
2002 539,384 -15.5%
2003 477,412 -11.5%
2004 402,065 -15.8%
2005 618,581 +53.9%
2006 649,911 +5.1%
2007 666,891 +2.6%
2008 537,211 -19.4%
2009 780,407 +45.3%
2010 839,516 +7.6%
2011 1.47 million +74.6%
2012 1.04 million -29.3%
2013 1.04 million +0.5%
2014 1.47 million +41.3%
2015 1.44 million -2.4%
2016 1.52 million +6.2%
2017 1.85 million +21.0%
2018 1.73 million -6.5%
2019 1.97 million +14.4%

Kenya compared with similar countries

  • Kenya's 1.97 million is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 222,334, 8.9× the median. (40 countries reporting)
  • Kenya's 1.97 million is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 118,514, 16.7× the median. (41 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Net food imports by crop - Wheat 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.

YearChange FromTo
1977 +19720.1% -164 32,177
1965 +12142.9% 49 5,999
1971 +3790.1% -344 12,694
1970 -2357.1% -14 -344
1975 +607.9% 11,575 81,940

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1960s 12,588 -14 52,500 9
1970s 39,018 -344 90,680 10
1980s 114,447 48,411 217,857 10
1990s 361,948 132,568 583,818 10
2000s 594,196 402,065 780,407 10
2010s 1.44 million 839,516 1.97 million 10

Countries ranked near Kenya

  1. 21 Sudan 2.10 million compare
  2. 22 Uzbekistan 2.08 million compare
  3. 23 Peru 2.01 million compare
  4. 25 Colombia 1.91 million compare
  5. 26 Tunisia 1.85 million compare
  6. 27 South Africa 1.82 million compare

See the full ranking of 175 places →

More reference data data for Kenya

All data for Kenya →

Frequently asked questions

What is net food imports by crop - wheat in Kenya?
Net food imports by crop - wheat in Kenya was 1.97 million in 2019, according to FAOSTAT. Available at: http://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data.
What is the highest net food imports by crop - wheat recorded in Kenya?
The highest recorded value was 1.97 million in 2019.
What is the lowest net food imports by crop - wheat recorded in Kenya?
The lowest recorded value was -344 in 1970.
How does Kenya rank for net food imports by crop - wheat?
Kenya ranks 24th out of 175 countries with data for 2019.
Is net food imports by crop - wheat rising or falling in Kenya?
Over the last ten years it is up 153.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Kenya data come from?
The figures come from FAOSTAT. Available at: http://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data, published as part of Net food imports by crop - Wheat. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Net food imports by crop - Wheat in Kenya. Statizoid, drawing on FAOSTAT. Available at: http://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data. Retrieved 28 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/net-food-imports-by-crop-wheat/kenya/

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About this data

Indicator
Net food imports by crop - Wheat
Source
FAOSTAT. Available at: http://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
175 places, 7,821 data points, 1961–2019
Last refreshed

Net food imports are generated from FAOSTAT, taking Export level (tonnes) from the Import level (tonnes) [both under Trade: Crops and Livestock Products]. Net food imports are a proxy for the country's vulnerability to global food prices.