Foreign direct investment, net inflows in Kenya

Kenya: Foreign direct investment, net inflows was 0.4% in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
0.4%
Change on year
down 18.5%
World rank
167th
of 199 countries
All-time high
3.1%
in 2011
All-time low
-0.0%
in 2020
Years of data
55
1970–2024

Foreign direct investment, net inflows in Kenya, 1970–2024

0123197019972024

Source: International Financial Statistics and Balance of Payments databases, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of GDP.

Analysis

The most recent figure for foreign direct investment, net inflows in Kenya is 0.4%, measured in 2024.

That represents a change of down 18.5% on the previous year and down 68.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, foreign direct investment, net inflows in Kenya peaked at 3.1% in 2011 and was at its lowest, -0.0%, in 2020.

Kenya ranks 167th of 199 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

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

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 0.8% 0.3% 1.3% 10
1980s 0.4% 0.0% 1.1% 10
1990s 0.6% 0.1% 2.5% 10
2000s 0.5% 0.0% 2.3% 10
2010s 1.3% 0.4% 3.1% 10
2020s 0.4% -0.0% 0.7% 5

Countries ranked near Kenya

  1. 164 Brunei 0.4% compare
  2. 165 China 0.4% compare
  3. 166 Bangladesh 0.4% compare
  4. 168 Iran 0.3% compare
  5. 169 Kuwait 0.3% compare
  6. 170 Samoa 0.2% compare

See the full ranking of 246 places →

More economy & growth data for Kenya

All data for Kenya →

Frequently asked questions

What is foreign direct investment, net inflows in Kenya?
Foreign direct investment, net inflows in Kenya was 0.4% in 2024, according to International Financial Statistics and Balance of Payments databases, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
What is the highest foreign direct investment, net inflows recorded in Kenya?
The highest recorded value was 3.1% in 2011.
What is the lowest foreign direct investment, net inflows recorded in Kenya?
The lowest recorded value was -0.0% in 2020.
How does Kenya rank for foreign direct investment, net inflows?
Kenya ranks 167th out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
Is foreign direct investment, net inflows rising or falling in Kenya?
Over the last ten years it is down 68.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Kenya data come from?
The figures come from International Financial Statistics and Balance of Payments databases, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Foreign direct investment, net inflows (% of GDP). 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

Indicator
Foreign direct investment, net inflows (% of GDP)
Unit
% of GDP
Source
International Financial Statistics and Balance of Payments databases, International Monetary Fund (IMF)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
246 places, 11,857 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed

Foreign direct investment is the net inflows of investment to acquire a lasting management interest (10 percent or more of voting stock) in an enterprise operating in an economy other than that of the investor. It is the sum of equity capital, reinvestment of earnings, other long-term capital, and short-term capital as shown in the balance of payments. This series shows net inflows (new investment inflows less disinvestment) in the reporting economy from foreign investors, and is divided by GDP.