Tobacco production in Kenya
Kenya: Tobacco production was 12,446 tonnes in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
12,446 tonnes
Change on year
up 1.0%
World rank
35th
of 146 countries
All-time high
25,000 tonnes
in 2005
All-time low
53 tonnes
in 1967
Years of data
64
1961–2024
Tobacco production in Kenya, 1961–2024
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
In 2024, tobacco production in Kenya stood at 12,446 tonnes.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.0% on the previous year and up 15.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, tobacco production in Kenya peaked at 25,000 tonnes in 2005 and was at its lowest, 53 tonnes, in 1967.
That places Kenya 35th out of 146 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.
Tobacco production in Kenya, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 448 tonnes | — |
| 1962 | 356 tonnes | -20.5% |
| 1963 | 508 tonnes | +42.7% |
| 1964 | 504 tonnes | -0.8% |
| 1965 | 382 tonnes | -24.2% |
| 1966 | 69 tonnes | -81.9% |
| 1967 | 53 tonnes | -23.2% |
| 1968 | 80 tonnes | +50.9% |
| 1969 | 123 tonnes | +53.8% |
| 1970 | 123 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1971 | 161 tonnes | +30.9% |
| 1972 | 167 tonnes | +3.7% |
| 1973 | 137 tonnes | -18.0% |
| 1974 | 139 tonnes | +1.5% |
| 1975 | 296 tonnes | +112.9% |
| 1976 | 807 tonnes | +172.6% |
| 1977 | 1,700 tonnes | +110.7% |
| 1978 | 1,800 tonnes | +5.9% |
| 1979 | 2,905 tonnes | +61.4% |
| 1980 | 2,738 tonnes | -5.7% |
| 1981 | 3,701 tonnes | +35.2% |
| 1982 | 5,212 tonnes | +40.8% |
| 1983 | 6,628 tonnes | +27.2% |
| 1984 | 8,555 tonnes | +29.1% |
| 1985 | 5,072 tonnes | -40.7% |
| 1986 | 5,076 tonnes | +0.1% |
| 1987 | 7,000 tonnes | +37.9% |
| 1988 | 8,000 tonnes | +14.3% |
| 1989 | 10,590 tonnes | +32.4% |
| 1990 | 8,800 tonnes | -16.9% |
| 1991 | 10,000 tonnes | +13.6% |
| 1992 | 9,000 tonnes | -10.0% |
| 1993 | 10,000 tonnes | +11.1% |
| 1994 | 8,920 tonnes | -10.8% |
| 1995 | 13,000 tonnes | +45.7% |
| 1996 | 15,980 tonnes | +22.9% |
| 1997 | 21,878 tonnes | +36.9% |
| 1998 | 11,000 tonnes | -49.7% |
| 1999 | 16,800 tonnes | +52.7% |
| 2000 | 17,960 tonnes | +6.9% |
| 2001 | 19,500 tonnes | +8.6% |
| 2002 | 20,000 tonnes | +2.6% |
| 2003 | 19,375 tonnes | -3.1% |
| 2004 | 22,000 tonnes | +13.6% |
| 2005 | 25,000 tonnes | +13.6% |
| 2006 | 17,605 tonnes | -29.6% |
| 2007 | 11,153 tonnes | -36.6% |
| 2008 | 8,519 tonnes | -23.6% |
| 2009 | 10,260 tonnes | +20.4% |
| 2010 | 14,156 tonnes | +38.0% |
| 2011 | 15,345 tonnes | +8.4% |
| 2012 | 11,756 tonnes | -23.4% |
| 2013 | 10,538 tonnes | -10.4% |
| 2014 | 10,767 tonnes | +2.2% |
| 2015 | 10,914 tonnes | +1.4% |
| 2016 | 10,896 tonnes | -0.2% |
| 2017 | 10,424 tonnes | -4.3% |
| 2018 | 10,744 tonnes | +3.1% |
| 2019 | 10,567 tonnes | -1.7% |
| 2020 | 10,533 tonnes | -0.3% |
| 2021 | 10,415 tonnes | -1.1% |
| 2022 | 9,980 tonnes | -4.2% |
| 2023 | 12,323 tonnes | +23.5% |
| 2024 | 12,446 tonnes | +1.0% |
Kenya compared with similar countries
- Kenya's 12,446 tonnes is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 2,560 tonnes, 4.9× the median. (37 countries reporting)
- Kenya's 12,446 tonnes is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 2,288 tonnes, 5.4× the median. (32 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 280.33 tonnes | 53 tonnes | 508 tonnes | 9 |
| 1970s | 823.5 tonnes | 123 tonnes | 2,905 tonnes | 10 |
| 1980s | 6,257 tonnes | 2,738 tonnes | 10,590 tonnes | 10 |
| 1990s | 12,538 tonnes | 8,800 tonnes | 21,878 tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 17,137 tonnes | 8,519 tonnes | 25,000 tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 11,611 tonnes | 10,424 tonnes | 15,345 tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 11,139 tonnes | 9,980 tonnes | 12,446 tonnes | 5 |
Countries ranked near Kenya
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 tobacco production in Kenya?
- Tobacco production in Kenya was 12,446 tonnes in 2024, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest tobacco production recorded in Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 25,000 tonnes in 2005.
- What is the lowest tobacco production recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 53 tonnes in 1967.
- How does Kenya rank for tobacco production?
- Kenya ranks 35th out of 146 countries with data for 2024.
- Is tobacco production rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is up 15.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Kenya data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Tobacco production. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 64 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Tobacco production is measured in tonnes.