Kenya vs South Africa
Kenya vs South Africa: Inflation
Inflation in 2025: 4.1% a year in Kenya and 3.2% a year in South Africa, by IMF estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Kenya, by 0.8 percentage points, or 1.26 times that in South Africa.
% a year · IMF
What the numbers say
- Kenya has been higher since 2017, when it overtook South Africa.
- In 2025, Kenya ranked 51 and South Africa ranked 79 of 179 countries, counting from the highest.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Kenya at 5% a year and South Africa at 3% a year in 2031.
Every year
% a year · IMF
| Year | Kenya | South Africa |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 4.1 | 3.2 |
| 2024 | 4.5 | 4.4 |
| 2023 | 7.7 | 5.9 |
| 2022 | 7.6 | 6.9 |
| 2021 | 6.1 | 4.6 |
| 2020 | 5.3 | 3.3 |
| 2019 | 5.2 | 4.1 |
| 2018 | 4.7 | 4.6 |
| 2017 | 8 | 5.3 |
| 2016 | 6.3 | 6.3 |
| 2015 | 6.6 | 4.6 |
| 2014 | 6.9 | 6.1 |
| 2013 | 5.7 | 5.7 |
| 2012 | 9.4 | 5.7 |
| 2011 | 14 | 5 |
| 2010 | 4.1 | 4.2 |
| 2009 | 10.5 | 7.2 |
| 2008 | 15.1 | 10.9 |
| 2007 | 4.3 | 7.1 |
| 2006 | 6 | 4.7 |
| 2005 | 9.9 | 3.4 |
| 2004 | 11.8 | 1.4 |
| 2003 | 9.8 | 5.9 |
| 2002 | 2 | 9.1 |
| 2001 | 5.7 | 5.7 |
| 2000 | 10 | 5.3 |
| 1999 | 5.8 | 5.1 |
| 1998 | 5.4 | 7 |
| 1997 | 11.3 | 8.6 |
| 1996 | 6.8 | 7.4 |
| 1995 | 1.6 | 8.8 |
| 1994 | 28.8 | 8.9 |
| 1993 | 46 | 9.6 |
| 1992 | 27.3 | 14 |
| 1991 | 20.1 | 15.1 |
| 1990 | 17.8 | 14.4 |
| 1989 | 13.8 | 14.8 |
| 1988 | 12.3 | 12.6 |
| 1987 | 8.6 | 16.4 |
| 1986 | 2.5 | 18.2 |
| 1985 | 13 | 16.5 |
| 1984 | 10.3 | 11.3 |
| 1983 | 11.4 | 12.7 |
| 1982 | 20.7 | 14 |
| 1981 | 11.6 | 15.9 |
| 1980 | 13.9 | 14.2 |
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | Kenya | South Africa |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 6 | 4.4 |
| 2027 | 5 | 3.9 |
| 2028 | 5.3 | 3.3 |
| 2029 | 5.2 | 3 |
| 2030 | 5 | 3 |
| 2031 | 5 | 3 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- How much consumer prices rose in a year, on average.
- Source: IMF, World Economic Outlook, October 2026.
- The dashed line is the IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026), a scenario rather than a forecast.
- Ranks count the 179 countries with a value in 2025, highest first.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
Kenya vs South Africa
Health
- Life expectancyKenya: 63.7 years in 2023South Africa: 66.1 years in 2023
- Child mortalityKenya: 3.9 per 100 live births in 2024South Africa: 3.5 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityKenya: 29.7 per 1,000 live births in 2023South Africa: 27.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionKenya: 3.51% in 2017South Africa: 3.75% in 2017
- Suicide rateKenya: 11.1 per 100,000 people in 2017South Africa: 11.2 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationKenya: 55.3 million people in 2023South Africa: 63.2 million people in 2023
- Population growthKenya: 1.97% a year in 2023South Africa: 1.32% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateKenya: 3.21 births per woman in 2023South Africa: 2.22 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationKenya: 32.2% in 2025South Africa: 63.8% in 2025
- Median ageKenya: 19.5 years in 2023South Africa: 28.2 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overKenya: 2.9% in 2023South Africa: 6.5% in 2023
- Net migration rateKenya: -0.2 per 1,000 people in 2023South Africa: 3.6 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingKenya: 1.07% of GDP in 2025South Africa: 0.74% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsKenya: $1.36B in 2025South Africa: $3B in 2025
- Military spending per personKenya: $26 in 2025South Africa: $49 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingKenya: 4.6% of government spending in 2025South Africa: 2.2% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelKenya: 24,000 people in 2020South Africa: 89,000 people in 2020
- National powerKenya: 0.23% of world capability in 2022South Africa: 0.55% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersKenya: 0.11% of the labour force in 2020South Africa: 0.4% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsKenya: 117 million TIV in 2025South Africa: 30 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsKenya: 2 million TIV in 1993South Africa: 115 million TIV in 2025