Risk premium on lending (lending rate minus treasury bill rate, %) in Kenya
Kenya: Risk premium on lending (lending rate minus treasury bill rate, %) was 1.3% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Risk premium on lending in Kenya, 1990–2024
Source: International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in lending rate minus treasury bill rate, %.
Analysis
In 2024, risk premium on lending in Kenya stood at 1.3%.
That represents a change of down 4.3% on the previous year and down 82.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, risk premium on lending in Kenya peaked at 12.8% in 2003 and was at its lowest, -25.7%, in 1993.
Kenya ranks 69th of 86 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Risk premium on lending (lending rate minus treasury bill rate, %) in Kenya, year by year
| Year | lending rate minus treasury bill rate, % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 3.5% | — |
| 1991 | 1.8% | -48.2% |
| 1992 | 2.9% | +61.4% |
| 1993 | -25.7% | -982.4% |
| 1994 | 11.0% | -142.9% |
| 1995 | 9.8% | -11.1% |
| 1996 | 10.8% | +9.8% |
| 1997 | 7.8% | -28.1% |
| 1998 | 6.2% | -20.5% |
| 1999 | 9.1% | +47.5% |
| 2000 | 10.3% | +13.0% |
| 2001 | 6.9% | -32.5% |
| 2002 | 9.5% | +37.1% |
| 2003 | 12.8% | +35.0% |
| 2004 | 9.6% | -25.5% |
| 2005 | 4.4% | -53.6% |
| 2006 | 6.8% | +53.5% |
| 2007 | 6.5% | -4.1% |
| 2008 | 6.3% | -3.5% |
| 2009 | 7.4% | +17.7% |
| 2010 | 10.8% | +45.0% |
| 2011 | 6.3% | -41.3% |
| 2012 | 7.1% | +13.0% |
| 2013 | 8.4% | +17.4% |
| 2014 | 7.6% | -9.6% |
| 2015 | 5.2% | -32.0% |
| 2016 | 8.0% | +56.0% |
| 2017 | 5.3% | -34.2% |
| 2018 | 5.3% | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 5.5% | +4.7% |
| 2020 | 5.1% | -7.3% |
| 2021 | 5.1% | -0.3% |
| 2022 | 4.2% | -18.7% |
| 2023 | 1.4% | -67.0% |
| 2024 | 1.3% | -4.3% |
Kenya compared with similar countries
- Kenya's 1.3% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 3.5%, 37% of the median. (20 countries reporting)
- Kenya's 1.3% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 5.7%, 23% of the median. (22 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Risk premium on lending (lending rate minus treasury bill rate, %) in Kenya changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | -982.4% | 2.9% | -25.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 3.7% | -25.7% | 11.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 8.1% | 4.4% | 12.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 7.0% | 5.2% | 10.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.4% | 1.3% | 5.1% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Kenya
More financial sector data for Kenya
- Reserve position in the IMF, US dollar, annual growth rate 5.01 % change on previous year (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, US dollar, per capita 0.3189 units per person (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, SDR, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, SDR, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, SDR, per capita 0.2328 units per person (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, US dollar, annual growth rate 5.01 % change on previous year (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, US dollar, per capita 0.3189 units per person (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, SDR, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is risk premium on lending in Kenya?
- Risk premium on lending in Kenya was 1.3% in 2024, according to International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest risk premium on lending recorded in Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 12.8% in 2003.
- What is the lowest risk premium on lending recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was -25.7% in 1993.
- How does Kenya rank for risk premium on lending?
- Kenya ranks 69th out of 86 countries with data for 2024.
- Is risk premium on lending rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is down 82.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Kenya data come from?
- The figures come from International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Risk premium on lending (lending rate minus treasury bill rate, %). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Risk premium on lending is the interest rate charged by banks on loans to private sector customers minus the "risk free" treasury bill interest rate at which short-term government securities are issued or traded in the market. In some countries this spread may be negative, indicating that the market considers its best corporate clients to be lower risk than the government. The terms and conditions attached to lending rates differ by country, however, limiting their comparability.