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Country comparison

Kenya vs South Africa

Kenya and South Africa side by side across 202 indicators — each row links to the full 54-country ranking, with sources and the API call behind every figure.

GDP$147.27B vs $479.96BKenya vs South Africa
GDP per Capita$2,714 vs $7,503Kenya vs South Africa
Population57.53M vs 64.75MKenya vs South Africa

Indicator by indicator

202 indicators

Each country shows its latest available year, which can differ by indicator. Rows where the two sides are 5+ years apart are marked ⚠ in the Period column.

Indicator Kenya South AfricaPeriod
GDPEconomy$147.27B$479.96B2026
GDP per CapitaEconomy$2,714$7,5032026
Inflation RateEconomy6.4%5%2026-06
Central Bank Policy RateEconomy8.8%7%2026-06-09
Official Exchange RateEconomy129.27 LCU/USD16.37 LCU/USD2026-07
Budget BalanceEconomy-6.4%-4.9%2026
Unemployment RateEconomy5.4%32.4%2025
Public DebtEconomy71.6%78.9%2026
Trade BalanceEconomy$-8.15B$8.16B2025
GDP GrowthEconomy4.5%1%2026
GNI per CapitaEconomy$2,200$6,2702025
GNI per Capita (PPP)Economy$6,910$15,6002025
GDP (PPP)Economy$403.64B$1.03T2025
Agriculture (% of GDP)Economy23.2%2.8%2025
Industry (% of GDP)Economy16.3%24.1%2025
Manufacturing (% of GDP)Economy7.1%12.3%2025
Services (% of GDP)Economy55.1%63.1%2025
Investment (% of GDP)Economy17%13.9%2025
Remittances ReceivedEconomy$5B$1B2024/2025
Remittances (% of GDP)Economy4.2%0.2%2024/2025
External Debt (% of GNI)Economy35%44.8%2024
Foreign ReservesEconomy$12.39B$76.02B2025
Credit to Private Sector (% of GDP)Economy31.8%89.4%2023/2024
Tax Revenue (% of GDP)Economy14.1%25.9%2023/2024
Labor Force ParticipationEconomy67.4%55.6%2025
Female Labor Force ParticipationEconomy63%49.9%2025
Income Inequality (Gini)Economy38.554.12022
Extreme Poverty RateEconomy45.5%17.4%2022
Account OwnershipEconomy90.1%81.1%2024
Youth NEET RateEconomy27.8%34.6%2022/2024
Military Spending (% of GDP)Economy1%0.7%2024
Trade Openness (% of GDP)Economy37.5%60.9%2025
Inflation (GDP Deflator)Economy3.5%2.8%2025
Tourism ReceiptsEconomy$1.76B$2.72B2019/2020
Tourist ArrivalsEconomy2.05M3.89M2019/2020
Current Account BalanceEconomy-4.1%-0.9%2026
Foreign Direct InvestmentEconomy$1.5B$2.47B2024
FDI (% of GDP)Economy1.2%0.6%2024
Government Revenue (% of GDP)Economy17.5%27.2%2024
Government Spending (% of GDP)Economy23.3%33%2024
Youth Unemployment RateEconomy16.7%60.1%2022/2024
Productive Capacity IndexEconomy36.951.72024
Natural Resource RentsEconomy1.2%7.3%2021
Oil Rents (% of GDP)Economy0%0.4%2021
Mineral Rents (% of GDP)Economy0%3.8%2021
Natural Gas Rents (% of GDP)Economy0%0%2021
Foreign Aid (% of GNI)Economy2.5%0.4%2023
Foreign Aid per CapitaEconomy$47$242023
Lending Interest RateEconomy16.6%10.7%2024/2025
Real Interest RateEconomy13%7.7%2024/2025
Gross Savings (% of GDP)Economy15.6%12.9%2024/2025
Adjusted Net Income per CapitaEconomy$1,790$5,5212021
Employment in AgricultureEconomy45.8%5.4%2025
Employment in IndustryEconomy12.5%20.8%2025
Employment in ServicesEconomy41.7%73.8%2025
Vulnerable EmploymentEconomy63.8%11.7%2025
Household Consumption (% of GDP)Economy76.9%65.8%2025
Income Share of Poorest 20%Economy7.1%3.7%2022
Bank Branches per 100,000Economy4.582024
ATMs per 100,000Economy6.4462024
GDP per Capita GrowthEconomy2.6%-0%2025
Debt Service (% of GNI)Economy4.8%5.7%2024
Poverty Rate ($3.65/day)Economy65.5%30.2%2022
Poverty Rate ($6.85/day)Economy90.1%59.6%2022
Exports of Goods & ServicesTrade$21.43B$134.18B2025
Imports of Goods & ServicesTrade$29.58B$126.02B2025
Export Diversification IndexTrade0.660.5532024
Export Concentration IndexTrade0.2030.1452024
Liner Shipping ConnectivityTrade16.539.12021
Fuel Exports (% of Exports)Trade1.6%8.2%2024/2025
Manufactures Exports (% of Exports)Trade30.7%38.3%2024/2025
Food Exports (% of Exports)Trade49.2%12.8%2024/2025
High-Tech Exports (% of Manufactured)Trade3.2%5.7%2024
Exports (% of GDP)Trade15.8%31.4%2025
Imports (% of GDP)Trade21.8%29.5%2025
Human Development IndexDevelopment0.6280.7412023
Gender Inequality IndexDevelopment0.5260.3882023
Inequality-adjusted HDIDevelopment0.4560.4762023
PopulationDemographics57.53M64.75M2025
Population GrowthDemographics1.9%1.1%2025
Life ExpectancyDemographics63.8 years66.3 years2024
Median AgeDemographics20.3 years28.9 years2026
Fertility RateDemographics3.172.212024
Rural PopulationDemographics67.8%36.2%2025
Population Under 15Demographics36.3%25.7%2025
Urban PopulationDemographics32.2%63.8%2025
Population DensityDemographics101/km²53.6/km²2026
Birth RateDemographics26.617.82026
Death RateDemographics7.139.312026
Net Migration RateDemographics-0.592.012026
Life Expectancy (Female)Demographics66.1 years69.8 years2024
Life Expectancy (Male)Demographics61.6 years62.8 years2024
Urban Population GrowthDemographics2.9%1.3%2025
Infant MortalityHealth34.224.22024
HIV PrevalenceHealth3%17.2%2024
Health Spending (% of GDP)Health4.4%8.9%2023
Physicians per 1,000Health0.290.792023/2022
UHC Service Coverage IndexHealth57742023
Road Traffic DeathsHealth28.224.52021
Premature NCD MortalityHealth18%22.7%2021
Out-of-Pocket Health SpendingHealth24.2%6.7%2023
Safely Managed SanitationHealth35.8%73.8%2024
Maternal MortalityHealth378.8117.62023
Under-Five MortalityHealth39.934.72023
Neonatal MortalityHealth21.511.72023
Tuberculosis IncidenceHealth2073892024
Measles ImmunizationHealth80%66%2025
DTP3 ImmunizationHealth88%65%2025
Basic Drinking WaterHealth—22.2%2024
Basic SanitationHealth5.1%3.6%2024
Diabetes PrevalenceHealth3.1%7.2%2024
Hospital Beds per 1,000Health1.332.252019/2010 ⚠
Contraceptive PrevalenceHealth62.5%54.6%2022/2016 ⚠
Skilled Birth AttendanceHealth70.2%96.7%2016
Nurses & Midwives per 1,000Health2.276.392023/2022
Adolescent Fertility RateHealth54.551.82024
Health Spending per CapitaHealth$85$5372023
NCD Share of DeathsHealth37.8%37.2%2021
Smoking PrevalenceHealth9.6%23.7%2024
Antenatal Care CoverageHealth92.8%93.7%2020/2016
Child StuntingChild Welfare17.9%24.4%2024
Child WastingChild Welfare4.5%3.6%2022/2017 ⚠
Birth RegistrationChild Welfare76%88.6%2022/2017 ⚠
Child MarriageChild Welfare12.5%3.6%2022/2016 ⚠
Overweight ChildrenChild Welfare3.4%11.8%2022/2017 ⚠
Education Spending (% of GDP)Education4%6%2024
Tertiary EnrollmentEducation10.4%23.5%2024/2023
Adult Literacy RateEducation82.2%91.2%2000/2024 ⚠
Youth Literacy RateEducation93.2%97.2%2014/2024 ⚠
Primary Completion RateEducation90.8%97.6%2024
Lower Secondary CompletionEducation86.6%92.5%2024
Primary Net EnrollmentEducation94.3%93.9%2023
Lower Secondary EnrollmentEducation95.6%90.4%2006/2023 ⚠
Upper Secondary EnrollmentEducation62.4%86.9%2023
Upper Secondary CompletionEducation65%62.2%2024
Qualified Primary TeachersEducation100%77.9%2023/2002 ⚠
Secondary EnrollmentEducation84.3%104.1%2023
UndernourishmentFood Security36.8%10%2023
Acute Food InsecurityFood Security2.75M—2026-06
Agricultural Land (% of Land)Agriculture49.5%79.4%2023
Food Production IndexAgriculture112.4113.22022
Cassava ProductionAgriculture1.21M t—2024
Coffee ProductionAgriculture49.5K t—2024
Sorghum ProductionAgriculture243K t98K t2024
Millet ProductionAgriculture65.76K t6.33K t2024
Maize ProductionAgriculture4.02M t12.85M t2024
Rice ProductionAgriculture282.15K t3.08K t2024
Wheat ProductionAgriculture312.2K t1.92M t2024
Maize YieldAgriculture1,666 kg/ha4,874 kg/ha2024
Rice YieldAgriculture6,553 kg/ha2,912 kg/ha2024
Wheat YieldAgriculture3,044 kg/ha3,809 kg/ha2024
Cattle StockAgriculture22.4M head12.1M head2024
Homicide RateGovernance4.943.72022
Corruption Perceptions IndexGovernance32412024
Electoral Democracy IndexGovernance0.5630.7432025
Liberal Democracy IndexGovernance0.4460.6332025
Political Corruption IndexGovernance0.5640.5382025
Control of CorruptionGovernance-0.8-0.192024
Government EffectivenessGovernance-0.3-0.232024
Rule of LawGovernance-0.460.022024
Political StabilityGovernance-1.36-0.622024
Regulatory QualityGovernance-0.33-0.062024
Voice and AccountabilityGovernance-0.350.612024
Refugees HostedHumanitarian617.13K55.18K2025
Internally Displaced PeopleHumanitarian002025
Asylum Seekers HostedHumanitarian218.65K82.36K2025
Stateless PeopleHumanitarian9.8K02025
Internet UsersTechnology35%78.4%2024
Mobile SubscriptionsTechnology126.5179.32024
4G CoverageTechnology97.3%99.4%2024
Fixed Broadband SubscriptionsTechnology35.32024
Mobile Data PriceTechnology4.1%1.3%2025
3G CoverageTechnology98%99.9%2024
Fixed Broadband PriceTechnology12.3%3.4%2025
Mobile Bundle PriceTechnology1.3%1.1%2025
R&D Spending (% of GDP)Technology0.8%0.6%2024/2022
Electricity AccessInfrastructure77%90.2%2024
Air Transport PassengersInfrastructure5.14M15.45M2023
Slum PopulationInfrastructure40.5%24.2%2022
Renewable Energy CapacityEnergy3K MW16.6K MW2025
Solar CapacityEnergy551.1 MW11.3K MW2025
Wind CapacityEnergy436.1 MW4.3K MW2025
Hydropower CapacityEnergy892.7 MW751.7 MW2025
Renewable Energy ShareEnergy67.7%9.7%2021
Clean Cooking AccessEnergy31.6%89.8%2023
Electricity Consumption per CapitaEnergy195 kWh3,247 kWh2024/2023
Power Transmission LossesEnergy25.8%10.2%2024/2023
Off-grid Renewable CapacityEnergy87.3 MW14.1 MW2025
Rural Electricity AccessEnergy67.1%86.3%2024
Solar Share of ElectricityEnergy4.6%8%2025
Wind Share of ElectricityEnergy16.4%4.7%2025
Hydropower Share of ElectricityEnergy20.9%0.8%2025
Fossil Share of ElectricityEnergy10%82.2%2025
Electricity DemandEnergy16 TWh237 TWh2025
Electricity Carbon IntensityEnergy95 gCO₂/kWh699 gCO₂/kWh2025
Primary Energy per CapitaEnergy1,608 kWh21,287 kWh2023/2024
CO2 Emissions per CapitaClimate0.38 t6.88 t2024
Renewable Electricity OutputClimate78.1%6.4%2021
Forest AreaClimate6.2%14%2023
Protected AreasClimate11.8%12.9%2025
Freshwater WithdrawalsClimate19.5%47.1%2022
PM2.5 Air PollutionClimate20.3 µg/m³27.7 µg/m³2023

Get this comparison via API

GET /v1/data

One call returns both countries' latest value for any indicator — JSON, with source metadata.

curl "https://api.africa-api.com/v1/data?metric_key=gdp_current_usd&latest=true&country_codes=KE,ZA" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $AFRICA_API_KEY"
Kenya profileSouth Africa profileGet a free API key

Frequently asked questions

Does Kenya or South Africa have the larger economy?

South Africa has the larger economy: $147.27B for Kenya versus $479.96B for South Africa (GDP, current US$).

How do Kenya and South Africa compare across indicators?

This page compares Kenya and South Africa on 202 indicators — economy, demographics, health, governance and more — each with its latest value, source, and a link to the full 54-country ranking.

How do I get this comparison via the API?

Call GET /v1/data?metric_key=<key>&latest=true&country_codes=KE,ZA with a free Africa API key to get both countries' latest values as JSON.

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