Updated
Overview
Kenya has 2.9 times the population of Somalia: 57.53 million people against 19.65 million (2025).
Kenya's economy is 10 times the size of Somalia's, at $135.94B versus $13.00B.
Per person, Kenya is the wealthier of the two: $2,363 against $661 in GDP per capita.
Population
GDP (nominal)
GDP per capita
The full table
| Indicator | Kenya | Somalia | Years | Factbook, Jan 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Economy | ||||
| GDP (nominal) | Higher: $135.94B | $13.00B | 2025 | $124.50B / $12.11B |
| GDP per capita | Higher: $2,363 | $661 | 2025 | — / — |
| GDP growth | Higher: 4.6% | 3.0% | 2025 | — / — |
| Inflation | 4.1% | Lower: 3.7% | 2025 | 4.5% / 6.8% |
| Unemployment | Lower: 5.4% | 18.9% | 2025 | — / — |
| Price level (US=100) | 34 | — | 2025 | — / — |
| Avg monthly earnings | $137 | — | 2019 | — / — |
| Minimum wage | $119 | — | 2024 | — / — |
| People | ||||
| Population | 57.53 million | 19.65 million | 2025 | 55.75 million / 20.32 million |
| Population growth | 1.9% | 3.3% | 2025 | — / — |
| Median age | 20.0 yrs | 15.6 yrs | 2025 | — / — |
| Fertility rate | 3.12 | 5.91 | 2025 | — / — |
| Life expectancy | Higher: 63.8 yrs | 59.0 yrs | 2024 | — / — |
| Urban population | 32% | 55% | 2025 | — / — |
| Internet users | Higher: 35% | 28% | 2024 | — / — |
| Geography | ||||
| Area | 580,367 km² | 637,657 km² | — | — / — |
| Population density | 99.1/km² | 30.8/km² | 2025 | — / — |
| Environment | ||||
| CO2 emissions | 21 Mt | Lower: 1.32 Mt | 2024 | — / — |
| CO2 per capita | 0.4 t | Lower: 0.1 t | 2024 | — / — |
| Military | ||||
| Military spending | $1.23B | $201.85M | 2024 | — / — |
| Military spending (% GDP) | 1.0% | 1.6% | 2024 | — / — |
| Armed forces personnel | 24,000 | 14,000 | 2020 | — / — |
Sources by row: World Bank WDI, IMF WEO, UN WPP 2024, ILOSTAT, The Economist. Emphasis marks the stronger figure where one direction is meaningfully better.
Reading the numbers
Economy
Kenya is growing faster: 4.6% annual GDP growth versus 3.0%.
Inflation is comparable in both: 4.1% in Kenya and 3.7% in Somalia.
People and society
Somalia is the younger society: median age 15.6 versus 20.0 years.
Life expectancy is 4.9 years longer in Kenya (63.8 vs 59.0).
Somalia is considerably more urbanized: 55% of people live in cities, against 32%.
Geography
By land area, Kenya is 9% smaller than Somalia: 580,367 km² versus 637,657 km².
The two share a land border, which shapes their trade, migration, and security relationship.
Kenya is far more densely settled: 99 people per km² against 31.
Military
Kenya spends 6.1 times as much on defence as Somalia: $1.23B versus $201.85M (World Bank/SIPRI data).
Kenya fields the larger armed forces: 24,000 personnel against 14,000 (note: personnel data lags; observation years shown in the table).
Frequently asked
- Is Kenya bigger than Somalia?
- Somalia is larger by land area. Kenya covers 580,367 km² while Somalia covers 637,657 km², so Somalia is 10% larger than the other.
- Which has more people, Kenya or Somalia?
- Kenya has the larger population: 57.53 million versus 19.65 million (World Bank, 2025).
- Is Kenya richer than Somalia?
- Measured by GDP per capita, Kenya is richer: $2,363 against $661. Total GDP tells the same story: $135.94B for Kenya versus $13.00B for Somalia.
- Who spends more on their military, Kenya or Somalia?
- Kenya spends more: $1.23B versus $201.85M per year (World Bank, SIPRI-derived data; observation years vary).