Kenya and Ethiopia
The border and regional transport link Kenya and Ethiopia. The LAPSSET corridor also includes South Sudan and facilitates logistical alternatives. Documented economic cooperation does not amount to an exclusively bilateral agreement or full operation of all planned infrastructure.
Analysis reviewed: 2026-10-07 · Indicators updated: 2026-10-07Neighborly relations and institutional contacts
Kenya's 2025 diplomatic bulletin describes high-level visits and economic connections between neighboring countries.
LAPSSET and logistical alternatives
The Lamu–South Sudan–Ethiopia corridor brings together three countries.
Economic records and the project
The Kenyan publication cites 211 million dollars in trade in 2024, compared with 74.9 million in 2019.
Bilateral indicators
Blank cells: data unavailable.
| Indicator | Value | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Goods trade | 208.82 M USD | 2025 · UN Comtrade / KEN |
| Goods: Kenya to Ethiopia | 104.89 M USD | 2025 · UN Comtrade / KEN |
| Goods: Ethiopia to Kenya | 103.93 M USD | 2025 · UN Comtrade / KEN |
| Services trade | ||
| Export share: Kenya to Ethiopia | 1.22 % | 2025 · UN Comtrade / KEN |
| Export share: Ethiopia to Kenya | ||
| Investment stock: Kenya in Ethiopia | ||
| Investment stock: Ethiopia 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.
- Goods trade
- 2025 · UN Comtrade / KEN · Goods; full year; reporter KEN. Exports normally FOB and imports CIF according to the reporter's coverage. Mirror reports are not added together.
- Goods: Kenya to Ethiopia
- 2025 · UN Comtrade / KEN · Goods; full year; reporter KEN. Exports normally FOB and imports CIF according to the reporter's coverage. Mirror reports are not added together.
- Goods: Ethiopia to Kenya
- 2025 · UN Comtrade / KEN · Goods; full year; reporter KEN. Exports normally FOB and imports CIF according to the reporter's coverage. Mirror reports are not added together.
- Export share: Kenya to Ethiopia
- 2025 · UN Comtrade / KEN · Goods share: KEN exports to the partner / same reporter's exports to the world, same year.
Country comparison
Period and source beside each figure · est. = estimate by the stated institution.
| Indicator | Kenya | Ethiopia |
|---|---|---|
| Nominal GDP | 135.94 billion USD2025 · WB | 126.36 billion USD2025 · WB |
| GDP per capita | 2,362.86 USD2025 · WB | 932.73 USD2025 · WB |
| GDP growth | 4.63 %2025 · WB | 9.77 %2025 · WB |
| Policy interest rate | ||
| Inflation · annual average | 4.07 %Annual average · 2025 · WB | 13.23 %Annual average · 2025 · WB |
| Inflation · latest year-on-year figure | 15.1 %Headline CPI · 2026-08 · year-on-year · Ethiopian Statistical Service | |
| Unemployment | 5.45 %ILO est.2025 · WB | 3.32 %ILO est.2025 · WB |
| Budget balance (% of GDP) | -6.4 %IMF est.2025 · IMF | -1.2 %IMF est.2025 · IMF |
| Gross public debt (% of GDP) | 69.3 %IMF est.2025 · IMF | 43.1 %IMF est.2025 · IMF |
| Current account balance (% of GDP) | -1.29 %2024 · WB | -2.53 %2024 · WB |
| Population | 57,532,4932025 · WB | 135,472,0512025 · WB |
| Area | 591,969 km²2023 · WB | 1,136,240 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.Ethiopia: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.
- GDP per capita
- Current USD per personKenya: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.Ethiopia: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.
- GDP growth
- Annual real change (%)Kenya: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.Ethiopia: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.
- 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.Ethiopia: 2025 · Annual average change in the CPI (%) · World Bank · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.
- Inflation · latest year-on-year figure
- Headline CPI relative to the same period of the previous year (%); monthly or fortnightly frequency statedEthiopia: 2026-08 · National headline CPI, change from the same month of the previous year · Ethiopian Statistical Service · Published: 2026-09-08 · The document says August EFY2018; the ESS profile identifies it as August 2026. Not food inflation or a 12-month moving average. · Alternative official source; verified 2026-10-07
- 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.Ethiopia: 2025 · ILO modelled estimate, % of the labour force · World Bank · ILO est. · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.
- 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.Ethiopia: 2025 · IMF · IMF est. · IMF WEO estimate, not a monthly observation. Retains the country's fiscal year where it differs from the calendar year.
- 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.Ethiopia: 2025 · IMF · IMF est. · IMF WEO estimate, not a monthly observation. Retains the country's fiscal year where it differs from the calendar year.
- Current account balance
- % of GDPKenya: 2024 · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.Ethiopia: 2024 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.
- Population
- PeopleKenya: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.Ethiopia: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.
- Area
- Total area in km²; territorial coverage of the sourceKenya: 2023 · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.Ethiopia: 2023 · World Bank / FAO · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.
- 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 Ethiopia
| Product or sector | Value / share |
|---|---|
| Pharmaceutical products | 6.9 M USD2025 · Source |
| Machinery and mechanical appliances | 4 M USD2025 · Source |
| Mineral fuels and oils | 3.4 M USD2025 · Source |
| Electrical and electronic equipment | 2.3 M USD2025 · Source |
| Land vehicles and components | 0.3 M USD2025 · Source |
Ethiopia to Kenya
Connections between people
Education, work, visits and community connections have their own records and procedures. Residents are not equivalent to annual arrivals, and visits may be repeated. The tables retain dates, definitions and sources to distinguish these connections from business contracts and government decisions. [1]
Residents, study and travel
Blank cells: data unavailable. Each measure retains its definition and period.
| Indicator | Value | Period / source |
|---|---|---|
| Residents from Kenya living in Ethiopia | ||
| Residents from Ethiopia living in Kenya | ||
| Study and training: Kenya in Ethiopia | ||
| Study and training: Ethiopia in Kenya | ||
| Academic stays: Kenya in Ethiopia | ||
| Academic stays: Ethiopia in Kenya | ||
| Travel: Kenya to Ethiopia | ||
| Travel: Ethiopia 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.
Neighborly relations and institutional contacts
Kenya's 2025 diplomatic bulletin describes high-level visits and economic connections between neighboring countries. Border authorities, transport operators and communities have specific needs. A political meeting does not guarantee an absence of disruptions for all goods. Annual trade, projects and everyday supplies require different records to establish scale and results. [1]
LAPSSET and logistical alternatives
The Lamu–South Sudan–Ethiopia corridor brings together three countries. Kenya describes it as a route to connect northern neighbors and diversify Ethiopian routes. That objective does not turn every planned component into already operational infrastructure. Ports, roads, transport and logistics services have their own capacities and phases; their values are not automatically added to observed bilateral trade. [1]
A documented fertilizer shipment
The bulletin records Ethiopia's use of the corridor to import 60,000 tons of fertilizer through Lamu port in May 2024. It is a transit episode with a date and quantity, not all corridor traffic or a Kenyan export of that amount. Country of origin, route and final destination have different functions in the transaction. [1]
The scale of the two economies
Kenya recorded nominal GDP of 135.9 billion USD in 2025, compared with 126.4 in 2025 for Ethiopia. The reference populations were 57.53 million (2025) and 135.47 million (2025), respectively. In the same year, Kenya's nominal GDP was 1.08 times Ethiopia's. The figures contextualize market size; they do not in themselves describe well-being, individual wealth or political influence. IMF estimates or demographic extrapolations retain their markings in the table. A ratio is not calculated when the periods do not match. [3] [4] [5] [6]
Recent developments
Recent developments and latest available data · Reviewed: 2026-10-07
Economic records and the project
The Kenyan publication cites 211 million dollars in trade in 2024, compared with 74.9 million in 2019. Those periods do not replace the 2025 figures in the shared table. The corridor and border activity explain concrete physical connections, with different effects on businesses, transport operators and communities; the data alone do not demonstrate that all regional difficulties are resolved. [1]
Observed economic exchange
In 2025, recorded goods trade between Kenya and Ethiopia totaled USD 208.8 million. Kenya's shipments to Ethiopia were 104.9 million USD; those in the reverse direction were 103.9 million USD. Kenya's shipments to the partner represented 1.22 % of its goods exports to the world, using the same year and reporting country. A single customs declaration is used for both directions. This annual flow does not include all services activity or subsidiaries' local sales and is not added to accumulated investment capital. [2]
Milestones and consequences
Sources and data
Periods and scope of the figures
Each figure retains its period, unit, definition and source. Announcements, contracts and results are not interchangeable. Empty cells do not mean zero. Customs data for 2025 are not presented as activity observed during later crises.
- Cooperation, trade and LAPSSET corridor
Kenya Ministry of Foreign Affairs · Institutional source · Document: 2025-11 · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- Annual TOTAL X/M; 2025; reporter 404; partners 0,231
UN Comtrade / KEN · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- NY.GDP.MKTP.CD; ISO and reference year; no military dataset expansion
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- NY.GDP.MKTP.CD; 2023–2025; country and period preserved; no military series
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- SP.POP.TOTL; ISO and reference year; no military dataset expansion
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- SP.POP.TOTL; 2023–2025; country and period preserved; no military series
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- HS2 27; 2025; reporter 404; partners 231; X/M; annual goods
UN Comtrade / KEN · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- HS2 30; 2025; reporter 404; partners 231; X/M; annual goods
UN Comtrade / KEN · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- HS2 84; 2025; reporter 404; partners 231; X/M; annual goods
UN Comtrade / KEN · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- HS2 85; 2025; reporter 404; partners 231; X/M; annual goods
UN Comtrade / KEN · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- HS2 87; 2025; reporter 404; partners 231; X/M; annual goods
UN Comtrade / KEN · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
Additional sources on products and human connections
- UN Comtrade / KEN
2026-10-07 · Accessed: 2026-10-07 · HS2 27; 2025; reporter 404; partners 231; X/M; annual goods.
- UN Comtrade / KEN
2026-10-07 · Accessed: 2026-10-07 · HS2 30; 2025; reporter 404; partners 231; X/M; annual goods.
- UN Comtrade / KEN
2026-10-07 · Accessed: 2026-10-07 · HS2 84; 2025; reporter 404; partners 231; X/M; annual goods.
- UN Comtrade / KEN
2026-10-07 · Accessed: 2026-10-07 · HS2 85; 2025; reporter 404; partners 231; X/M; annual goods.
- UN Comtrade / KEN
2026-10-07 · Accessed: 2026-10-07 · HS2 87; 2025; reporter 404; partners 231; X/M; annual goods.