Kenya County GDP 2025: Gross County Product by County

Kenyan Counties Maps

Kenya Gross County Product 2025
Kenya National Bureau of Statistics • GCP 2025

How Kenya’s 47 Counties Really Compare

Drawn from the Gross County Product (GCP) 2025 report, Kenya’s most detailed county-level economic snapshot. It tracks output, growth and per-capita wealth across all 47 counties from 2020 to 2024.

KSh 9.99T
Total County GCP 2024
4.7%
National GCP Growth 2024
47
Counties Measured
KSh 309K
National GDP per Capita
Source: Kenya National Bureau of Statistics, Gross County Product (GCP) 2025, ISBN 978-9914-9650-9-2. Data covers 2020–2024. 2024 figures are preliminary (*). Constant prices base: 2016=100.
Context

What Is the Gross County Product?


The Gross County Product (GCP) is a geographic disaggregation of Kenya’s national GDP, estimating the monetary value of goods and services produced within each of the 47 counties in a given year. Compiled by KNBS in accordance with the 2008 System of National Accounts, it is the primary tool for tracking county-level economic performance under Kenya’s devolution framework.

“GCP is essential for supporting planning, resource allocation, and monitoring of economic performance at the county level. It highlights differences in economic activity across counties and presents critical information that guides the preparation of County Integrated Development Plans.” KNBS, Gross County Product 2025
47
Counties tracked
All measured against consistent SNA 2008 methodology
2016
Base year (real prices)
National deflators applied to generate real GCP at constant prices
4.5%
Avg. national growth 2020–24
21 counties exceeded the national 5-year average growth rate
21.8%
Agriculture share of GDP
Stable over 5 years, the bedrock of Kenya’s county economies
Economic Size

Nairobi Still Dominates, But the Gap Is Narrowing


Kenya’s county economies are strikingly unequal in size. In 2024, Nairobi City County alone accounted for nearly 30% of total national GCP, an economy roughly three times larger than the next biggest county, Kiambu. The top five counties collectively generate more than half the country’s output.

Top 15 Counties by GCP at Constant 2016 Prices, 2024 (KSh Million)
Preliminary 2024 estimates; constant prices eliminate inflation distortions
Nairobi City County remains in a class of its own, posting a real GCP of KSh 2.998 trillion in 2024. That is driven by a highly diversified economy spanning financial services, real estate, manufacturing, wholesale & retail trade, and ICT. It accounted for 37.6% of total services GVA and 36.4% of manufacturing GVA nationally.
30%
Nairobi share of
national GCP
Kiambu, Nakuru, Mombasa, and Machakos form a distant but important second tier. Kiambu benefits from its proximity to Nairobi and a robust agricultural base (tea, coffee, horticulture); Nakuru is home to major electricity generation facilities; Mombasa drives port logistics and tourism. Together, the top 5 counties account for roughly 52% of national GCP.
52%
Top 5 counties’
share of GCP
GCP Trajectory 2020–2024: Top 6 Counties (KSh Million, Constant 2016 Prices)
Tracking real economic output over the post-pandemic recovery period
Growth Rates

Which Counties Are Growing Fastest


Absolute economic size is one story, and growth rate is another. Twenty-one of Kenya’s 47 counties expanded faster than the national average of 4.5% per year over 2020–2024, with some frontier and semi-arid counties recording exceptional spurts from a low base.

8.4%
Tana River (fastest)
5-year average annual growth rate 2020–2024
5.7%
Nairobi City growth
Above national average, driven by services diversification
0.4%
Elgeyo/Marakwet (slowest)
Agricultural volatility and limited diversification
4.5%
National 5-yr average
21 counties exceeded this benchmark over 2020–2024
Average Annual GCP Growth Rate, 2020–2024 (%)
All 47 counties sorted by growth rate. Green = above 6%, Blue = above national avg 4.5%, Amber = 2.5-4.5%, Red = below 2.5%
“On average, twenty-one county economies registered higher GCP growth than the national growth rate (4.5%) during the 5-year period. The top five counties in terms of economic growth were Tana River (8.4%), Isiolo (7.9%), Mandera (6.6%), Kajiado (6.2%) and Nairobi City (5.7%).” KNBS GCP Report 2025, Part 4
The fastest-growing counties are largely frontier and semi-arid counties such as Tana River, Isiolo, Mandera, and Kajiado, growing from a lower economic base. This reflects increased government investment, infrastructure expansion, and the onset of extractive industries (petroleum exploration in Turkana, soda ash in Kajiado, titanium in Kwale).
7.9%
Isiolo avg. growth
2020–2024
Agricultural counties, particularly Elgeyo/Marakwet (0.4%), Nyandarua (1.3%) and Meru (3.8%), recorded below-average growth, reflecting the drag of weather variability and volatile commodity markets. The report notes: counties with more diversified economic structures experienced relatively faster growth.
1.3%
Nyandarua avg.
growth 2020–2024
Wealth Distribution

Where Economic Wellbeing Is Highest


Dividing total county GCP by population gives a per-capita measure, a proxy for average economic wellbeing. In 2024, Kenya’s nominal GDP per capita stood at KSh 309,460, but only seven counties exceeded this threshold, revealing deep regional inequalities.

Top 10 Counties by GCP Per Capita, 2024 (KSh)
National average: KSh 309,460
Bottom 10 Counties by GCP Per Capita, 2024 (KSh)
Wide gap vs. KSh 309K national average

Nairobi City leads with a per-capita GCP of KSh 850,332, nearly three times the national average, despite being the most populous county. This is driven by its highly diversified economy: manufacturing, financial services, real estate, distributive trade, and ICT. Mombasa follows at KSh 530,747, boosted by port logistics and tourism.
KSh 850K
Nairobi per-capita
GCP, 2024
At the other end of the spectrum, Wajir (KSh 85,600), Mandera (KSh 89,903) and Garissa (KSh 93,965) record the lowest per-capita GCP, less than one-tenth of Nairobi’s. These counties face structural barriers: sparse populations over vast arid land, high infrastructure costs, and limited access to markets.
KSh 86K
Wajir per-capita
GCP, 2024 (lowest)
GCP Per Capita for All Counties, 2020 vs. 2024 (KSh, Nominal)
Shows how per-capita wealth has evolved. Dark blue = 2024, light blue = 2020
Sectoral Analysis

What Drives Each County’s Economy?


Kenya’s county economies are powered by four broad sectors: Agriculture, Manufacturing, Other Industry & Construction, and Services. Each county’s economic character is shaped by which sectors dominate, and the divergence between agricultural and urban counties is stark.

Agriculture, Forestry & Fishing ~21.8%
Manufacturing ~9.8%
Other Industry & Construction ~7.5%
Services (all other) ~60.9%
Top 8 Counties: Agriculture GVA Share
5-yr average (2020–2024), % of national agricultural GVA
Top 8 Counties: Manufacturing GVA Share
5-yr average (2020–2024), % of national manufacturing GVA

Agriculture remains Kenya’s most distributed sector, with Meru (8.1%) and Nakuru (6.4%) leading national contributions. Other strong agricultural counties include Nyandarua, Murang’a, Kiambu, Bungoma, Nandi and Kakamega, all benefiting from diverse soil types and reliable rainfall.
8.1%
Meru’s share of
national agri. GVA
Manufacturing is far more concentrated. Nairobi City alone commands 36.4% of the national manufacturing GVA, followed by Mombasa (9.8%), Kiambu (8.3%) and Machakos (8.0%). ASAL counties like Wajir, West Pokot, Tana River, Marsabit, and Isiolo each contribute only 0.1%.
36.4%
Nairobi share of
national mfg. GVA
In Services, Nairobi City leads with 37.6% of national services GVA, followed by Mombasa (5.6%), Kiambu (4.9%), Nakuru (4.3%), Uasin Gishu (2.6%) and Kisumu (2.6%). These are counties with thriving urban settings where financial services, trade, ICT and public administration concentrate.
37.6%
Nairobi share of
national services GVA
Complete Data

The Full County Rankings for 2024


The full county-level table below ranks all 47 counties by GCP at constant 2016 prices (2024 preliminary estimates), showing real GCP, 5-year average growth rate, and per capita GCP. Use the search box to find a specific county.

#CountyGCP 2024 (KSh Mn)5-yr Avg GrowthPer Capita 2024 (KSh)Output Scale

* 2024 GCP figures are preliminary estimates. Growth rates are 5-year compound averages (2020–2024). Per capita uses 2024 projected population.

Regional Profiles

Five Economic Zones, Five Different Stories


While counties are the unit of measurement, regional patterns tell a powerful story about structural inequalities between the urban coast and interior, and the fertile highlands and the arid north.

Nairobi Metro Cluster
Key counties Nairobi, Kiambu, Machakos
Top driver Services & Manufacturing
Combined GCP 2024 KSh 3.89 Trillion
Share of national GCP ~39%
Coast & Lakeshore
Key counties Mombasa, Kilifi, Kwale, Kisumu
Top driver Tourism, Ports, Fisheries
Standout county Mombasa (KSh 519B)
Kisumu per capita 2024 KSh 292,183
Central Highlands
Key counties Meru, Nyeri, Kirinyaga, Murang’a, Embu
Top driver Tea, Coffee, Horticulture
Meru GCP 2024 KSh 291.9 Billion
Nyeri per capita 2024 KSh 339,903
Rift Valley & Western
Key counties Nakuru, Uasin Gishu, Kericho, Kakamega
Top driver Agriculture, Trade, Agro-processing
Nakuru GCP 2024 KSh 491.8 Billion
Growth outlook Diversifying rapidly
Arid & Semi-Arid Lands
Key counties Turkana, Marsabit, Garissa, Wajir, Mandera
Top driver Pastoralism, Public Sector
Growth champion Tana River (8.4% avg)
Biggest challenge Low per-capita GCP
Takeaways

What the Data Tells Us About Kenya’s County Economies


The 2025 GCP report paints a picture of a country in transition, where devolution has given counties the mandate but not always the resources to develop at equal pace.

Concentration
Economic power still highly concentrated
5 counties produce 52% of national GCP; Nairobi alone contributes 30%.
Convergence
ASAL counties are growing fastest
Tana River, Isiolo and Mandera outpace the national average, a hopeful sign.
Agriculture
A stable but vulnerable foundation
Agriculture’s ~22% GDP share is consistent but weather-sensitive counties lag.
10:1 Gap
Per-capita inequality persists
Nairobi’s KSh 850K vs Wajir’s KSh 86K, a tenfold gap demanding policy attention.
Diversification
The key to faster growth
Counties with mixed economies (services, manufacturing and agriculture together) consistently outperform.

Source: Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS), Gross County Product (GCP) 2025. Published 2025. ISBN: 978-9914-9650-9-2 (PDF). Available at www.knbs.or.ke. Licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0.


Methodology: GCP estimates follow the 2008 SNA framework. Distribution keys are derived from the 2019 Kenya Population and Housing Census, MSME Survey 2016, Annual Labour Enumeration Survey, Census of Industrial Production 2018, and various administrative datasets. National-level implicit deflators are used to generate constant-price (2016=100) estimates. The sum of all county GVAs equals national GDP (after taxes less subsidies on products and extra-regional territory adjustments).


Notes: 2024 data marked (*) are preliminary estimates. Growth rates shown are 5-year compound average annual growth rates for the period 2020–2024. Per-capita GCP uses projected county populations. Recommended citation: KNBS. (2025). Gross County Product 2025. Nairobi, Kenya.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *