Kenya and Eritrea
Contacts between Kenya and Eritrea combine regional diplomacy, small-scale trade and an announced agreement to facilitate travel. Stated economic opportunities are not the same as completed projects.
Analysis reviewed: 2026-10-24 · Indicators updated: 2026-10-07Bilateral indicators
Blank cells: data unavailable.
| Indicator | Value | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Goods trade | ||
| Goods: Kenya to Eritrea | ||
| Goods: Eritrea to Kenya | ||
| Services trade | ||
| Export share: Kenya to Eritrea | ||
| Export share: Eritrea to Kenya | ||
| Investment stock: Kenya in Eritrea | ||
| Investment stock: Eritrea in Kenya |
Definitions and sources
Trade adds both directions. Shares refer to the country’s total goods exports; investment is an accumulated stock, not an annual flow. Every figure retains the currency and period of its source. BEA positions are historical-cost estimates based on the immediate counterpart, not market values or investment by ultimate owner. ‘More than’ indicates a lower bound, not an exact amount. A recorded stock does not establish new activity or authorisation to operate under sanctions.
Country comparison
Period and source beside each figure · est. = estimate by the stated institution.
| Indicator | Kenya | Eritrea |
|---|---|---|
| Nominal GDP | 135.94 billion USD2025 · WB | |
| GDP per capita | 2,362.86 USD2025 · WB | |
| GDP growth | 4.63 %2025 · WB | |
| Policy interest rate | ||
| Inflation · annual average | 4.07 %Annual average · 2025 · WB | |
| Inflation · latest year-on-year figure | ||
| Unemployment | 5.45 %ILO est.2025 · WB | 5.98 %ILO est.2025 · WB |
| Budget balance (% of GDP) | -6.4 %IMF est.2025 · IMF | |
| Gross public debt (% of GDP) | 69.3 %IMF est.2025 · IMF | |
| Current account balance (% of GDP) | -1.29 %2024 · WB | |
| Population | 57,532,4932025 · WB | 3,607,0032025 · WB |
| Area | 591,969 km²2023 · WB | 121,766 km²2023 · WB |
| Military expenditure | ||
| Military expenditure (% of GDP) |
Definitions, dates and sources
Blank cells are not zero. Average annual inflation and the latest year-on-year figure appear in separate rows: they are not the same measure. Every annual indicator retains its reference year; when the years differ, the figures are identified as not directly comparable. When a figure is unavailable from the World Bank, an annual IMF estimate is used and identified as such. The latest year-on-year figure is the latest official release verified as of 7 October 2026. This includes advance releases marked as provisional. Mexico may have a fortnightly figure before the full month is published; it is not automatically compared with a monthly figure. The publication date is retained in each source’s details; it does not replace the observation period or the annual average. Policy rates carry their own dates and represent different instruments. Spain and France share the ECB rate. Balances are positive for surpluses and negative for deficits. The IMF may use fiscal years; unemployment retains each source’s definition (ILO estimates, IMF WEO or PCBS), as stated in the details. For Palestine, debt and the fiscal balance cover central government and retain the PCBS definition; they are not presented as consolidated general government. These are economic magnitudes, not measures of relationship quality.
Area retains each source’s territorial coverage; it does not determine sovereignty or effective control. Canada uses an archived national geographic reference. Military expenditure retains the 2024 SIPRI sample distributed by the World Bank: the amount and percentage of GDP use that same definition, which differs from NATO’s. It is not an approved budget or a 2026 figure. Information from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Military expenditure database · Terms of use0
Indicators reviewed: 2026-10-07. Each source retains its original access date; this review does not turn all the data into 2026 observations. Figures may be revised.
- Nominal GDP
- Current USDKenya: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.
- GDP per capita
- Current USD per personKenya: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.
- GDP growth
- Annual real change (%)Kenya: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.
- Policy interest rate
- Central bank instrument (%)
- Inflation · annual average
- Average annual change in headline CPI (%)Kenya: 2025 · Annual average CPI change (%) · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.
- Inflation · latest year-on-year figure
- Headline CPI relative to the same period of the previous year (%); monthly or fortnightly frequency stated
- Unemployment
- % of the labour force; definition used by the stated institutionKenya: 2025 · ILO modelled estimate; percentage of the labour force · World Bank · ILO est. · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.Eritrea: 2025 · ILO modelled estimate; percentage of the labour force · World Bank · ILO est. · Annual World Bank observation, with its original year; not monthly data.
- Budget balance
- General government (% of GDP)Kenya: 2025 · IMF · IMF est. · WEO general-government estimate, % of GDP. Not an observed balance for the current month.
- Gross public debt
- General government (% of GDP)Kenya: 2025 · IMF · IMF est. · WEO general-government estimate, % of GDP. Not an observed balance for the current month.
- Current account balance
- % of GDPKenya: 2024 · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.
- Population
- PeopleKenya: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.Eritrea: 2025 · World Bank · Annual World Bank observation, with its original year; not monthly data.
- Area
- Total area in km²; territorial coverage of the sourceKenya: 2023 · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.Eritrea: 2023 · World Bank · Annual World Bank observation, with its original year; not monthly data.
- Military expenditure
- Current USD per year; SIPRI series
- Military expenditure (% of GDP)
- Percentage of GDP; SIPRI definition, not NATO’s definition
Other data specific to this relationship
What they buy and sell
Documented selection, not an exhaustive list. Cells without a figure do not mean zero value; some products are identified without a verified amount.
Kenya to Eritrea
| Product or sector | Value / share |
|---|---|
Eritrea to Kenya
| Product or sector | Value / share |
|---|---|
Connections between people
A comparable series of tourists, residents or students in both directions has not been verified.
Residents, study and travel
Blank cells: data unavailable. Each measure retains its definition and period.
| Indicator | Value | Period / source |
|---|---|---|
| Residents from Kenya living in Eritrea | ||
| Residents from Eritrea living in Kenya | ||
| Study and training: Kenya in Eritrea | ||
| Study and training: Eritrea in Kenya | ||
| Academic stays: Kenya in Eritrea | ||
| Academic stays: Eritrea in Kenya | ||
| Travel: Kenya to Eritrea | ||
| Travel: Eritrea to Kenya |
What each figure measures
Residents are counted by nationality and the coverage of the stated register, not as people born in the other country or as new arrivals in one year. PERE includes dual nationals and people born outside Spain. Study with OPT and stays carrying academic credit are different measures. Travel may include several visits by the same person; FRONTUR arrivals require an overnight stay, whereas the Canadian survey includes day visits. These figures are neither added together nor automatically compared across directions.
Mobility data added or reviewed: 2026-10-07. Reference periods may be earlier.
Underlying ties
History, institutions and long-standing issues.
Diplomatic representation from Cairo
Kenya’s foreign ministry directory also accredits its embassy in Cairo to Eritrea. This representation provides a diplomatic channel without the directory documenting a resident Kenyan embassy in Asmara. A mission’s location should not be confused with the existence or absence of diplomatic relations. [2]
Small trade flows in the historical figures
Kenya’s presidency cited bilateral trade of 73.4 million shillings in 2020. This is a historical reference, not a current figure. [1]
Recent developments
Recent developments and latest available data · Reviewed: 2026-10-24
The mobility agreement announced in 2023
On 9 February 2023 both governments announced the removal of visa requirements. Travellers should check current requirements before departure. [1]
The relationship within the Horn of Africa
Regional security affects travel and economic activity. The British travel information consulted warns of tensions between Eritrea and Ethiopia and risks near Eritrean borders. This is regional context: it is not evidence of a conflict between Kenya and Eritrea and does not establish a bilateral military alliance. [3]
Sources and data
Periods and scope of the figures
The trade reference is historical. A visa announcement does not measure completed trips.
- Kenya–Eritrea visa announcement
Presidency of Kenya · Institutional source · Document: 2023-02-09 · Accessed: 2026-10-24
- Diplomatic Missions
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kenya · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-24
- Eritrea travel advice
UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-24