Kenya vs Tanzania
Kenya vs Tanzania: Government debt
Government debt: 71.3% of GDP in Kenya in 2025 and 47.8% of GDP in Tanzania in 2023, by IMF estimates. In 2023 the value was higher in Kenya, by 25.6 percentage points, or 1.54 times that in Tanzania.
% of GDP · IMF
What the numbers say
- Kenya has been higher since 2006, when it overtook Tanzania.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Kenya at 74% of GDP and Tanzania at 41.4% of GDP in 2031.
Every year
% of GDP · IMF
| Year | Kenya | Tanzania |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 71.3 | 49.8 |
| 2024 | 67.3 | 50 |
| 2023 | 73.4 | 47.8 |
| 2022 | 67.8 | 44.9 |
| 2021 | 68.2 | 43.4 |
| 2020 | 68 | 41.3 |
| 2019 | 59.1 | 40.4 |
| 2018 | 56.5 | 42 |
| 2017 | 53.9 | 40.1 |
| 2016 | 50.4 | 39.8 |
| 2015 | 45.8 | 39.5 |
| 2014 | 41.3 | 36.4 |
| 2013 | 39.8 | 32.7 |
| 2012 | 37.6 | 30.1 |
| 2011 | 35.7 | 28.4 |
| 2010 | 36.7 | 27.6 |
| 2009 | 36 | 23.9 |
| 2008 | 34.3 | 21.6 |
| 2007 | 34.2 | 23.8 |
| 2006 | 37.1 | 34.5 |
| 2005 | 37.4 | 46.1 |
| 2004 | 40.8 | 44.5 |
| 2003 | 43.8 | 44.4 |
| 2002 | 42 | 47.4 |
| 2001 | 41.3 | 50.8 |
| 2000 | 43.1 | – |
| 1999 | 38.4 | – |
| 1998 | 38.5 | – |
- 12.3Projected
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | Kenya | Tanzania |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 72.9 | 48.1 |
| 2027 | 73.8 | 46.6 |
| 2028 | 74.5 | 45.2 |
| 2029 | 74.4 | 43.9 |
| 2030 | 74.3 | 42.9 |
| 2031 | 74 | 41.4 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- What the government owes, as a share of the economy’s yearly output.
- 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 149 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 Tanzania
Health
- Life expectancyKenya: 63.7 years in 2023Tanzania: 67 years in 2023
- Child mortalityKenya: 3.9 per 100 live births in 2024Tanzania: 3.7 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityKenya: 29.7 per 1,000 live births in 2023Tanzania: 28.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionKenya: 3.51% in 2017Tanzania: 3.69% in 2017
- Suicide rateKenya: 11.1 per 100,000 people in 2017Tanzania: 8.8 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationKenya: 55.3 million people in 2023Tanzania: 66.6 million people in 2023
- Population growthKenya: 1.97% a year in 2023Tanzania: 2.88% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateKenya: 3.21 births per woman in 2023Tanzania: 4.61 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationKenya: 32.2% in 2025Tanzania: 36.9% in 2025
- Median ageKenya: 19.5 years in 2023Tanzania: 17.2 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overKenya: 2.9% in 2023Tanzania: 3% in 2023
- Net migration rateKenya: -0.2 per 1,000 people in 2023Tanzania: -0.6 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingKenya: 1.07% of GDP in 2025Tanzania: 1.16% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsKenya: $1.36B in 2025Tanzania: $983M in 2025
- Military spending per personKenya: $26 in 2025Tanzania: $15 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingKenya: 4.6% of government spending in 2025Tanzania: 5.8% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelKenya: 24,000 people in 2020Tanzania: 28,000 people in 2020
- National powerKenya: 0.23% of world capability in 2022Tanzania: 0.25% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersKenya: 0.11% of the labour force in 2020Tanzania: 0.1% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsKenya: 117 million TIV in 2025Tanzania: 4 million TIV in 2025