Nigeria vs Kenya
Side-by-side economic and demographic comparison · 2026 data · Source: IMF & World Bank
Nigeria and Kenya are West and East Africa's largest economies respectively. Nigeria's GDP is roughly five times Kenya's, driven by oil exports and a population of 220 million (vs Kenya's 55 million). However, Kenya has emerged as East Africa's technology and financial hub, with innovations like M-Pesa mobile money and a thriving startup ecosystem in Nairobi. Kenya's economy is more diversified (agriculture, tourism, services, technology) and less volatile than Nigeria's oil-dependent model. Kenya's GDP per capita is comparable to Nigeria's despite the overall size gap.
Nigeria has a GDP of $377.37B compared to Kenya's $147.26B, making it 2.6x larger. Nigeria's population is 237.5M vs Kenya's 57.5M. Across 12 key indicators, Nigeria leads in 6 categories. All data sourced from the IMF World Economic Outlook and World Bank World Development Indicators.
| Indicator |  Nigeria |  Kenya |
|---|---|---|
| GDP (USD) | $377.37B✓ | $147.26B |
| GDP per Capita | $1,556 | $2,714✓ |
| GDP Growth (%) | 4.1% | 4.5%✓ |
| GDP per Capita (PPP) | $9,994✓ | $8,020 |
| Population | 237.5M✓ | 57.5M |
| Life Expectancy | 54.6 years | 63.8 years✓ |
| Inflation (%) | 16.0% | 5.9%✓ |
| Unemployment (%) | N/A | N/A |
| Govt Debt (% GDP) | 32.3%✓ | 71.6% |
| Fertility Rate | 4.4✓ | 3.2 |
| Gini Index | 33.9✓ | 38.5 |
| CO₂ per Capita (t) | 0.6 | 0.4✓ |
Summary
Nigeria has a GDP of $377.37B compared to Kenya's $147.26B, making the former economy 2.6x larger. In terms of population, Nigeria has 237.5M people while Kenya has 57.5M. Across the 12 indicators compared, Nigeria leads in 6 and Kenya leads in 5.
Why sources report different numbers
The IMF, World Bank and United Nations each publish these series on their own release schedule. Where their figures differ, the reason is usually visible in the reference year rather than in the methodology.
| Source | Nigeria | Kenya |
|---|---|---|
| IMF | $377.37B2026 | $147.26B2026 |
| World Bank | $290.79B2025 | $135.94B2025 |
| United Nations | $252.08B2024 | $120.34B2024 |
These are not the same reference year. IMF publishes 2026 and United Nations publishes 2024 — each is the latest that publisher has released, on its own schedule. A figure for a year still in progress is a projection rather than an outturn. Nigeria spans about 50% across 2 years, wide enough that a rebasing or currency revaluation is likely involved as well; Kenya spans about 22% across 2 years.
| Source | Nigeria | Kenya |
|---|---|---|
| IMF | $1,5562026 | $2,7142026 |
| World Bank | $1,2242025 | $2,3632025 |
| United Nations | $1,0832024 | $2,1322024 |
These are not the same reference year. IMF publishes 2026 and United Nations publishes 2024 — each is the latest that publisher has released, on its own schedule. A figure for a year still in progress is a projection rather than an outturn. Nigeria spans about 44% across 2 years, wide enough that a rebasing or currency revaluation is likely involved as well; Kenya spans about 27% across 2 years.
Figures are reproduced as published by each source, converted to a common unit, with each publisher's own reference year shown. Differences are described, not adjudicated — no source is presented as more correct than another.