- Nairobi City has the highest GCP per capita of Kshs 802, 344, nearly three times of the national average of Kshs 293, 229.
- Nairobi City also has the highest gross domestic product of Kshs 2,866,017 million as of 2023, followed by Kiambu and Nakuru.
- Agriculture is amongst Kenya’s leading contributor to its economic growth, accounting for 21.6% of the GDP (2019-2023)
- The list pertaining to the Richest Counties in Kenya is the courtesy of KNBS (2019-2023)
The five-year period (2019-2023) has seen counties grow tremendously, stemming from the net market value of all the final goods and services produced within these 47 counties, which accounts for their annual GCP. During the period, Kenya’s average GDP grew by 4.6%, with Nairobi City County being the top contributor.
Nairobi City contributed an average of 27.5% to the Gross Value Added (GVA), closely followed by Kiambu, Nakuru, and Mombasa counties, also contributing a substantial 5.6%, 5.2%, and 4.8%, respectively.
The Average County Contribution to the GVA (2019-2023)
The report by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) also shows that, atotal of 33 counties, each contributed less than 2.0% of the overall GVA. However, a total of sixteen counties posted a higher growth rate than the national average GDP growth during the period under review.
The five counties of Marsabit, Tana River, Nakuru, Kajiado, and Nairobi City recorded the highest economic growth, with each recording 9.3%, 7.6%, 6.9%, 6.3% and 6.1%, respectively. Similarly, at least five counties recorded growth rates below 30%, with three of these counties having growth rates of less than 2.0%, according to the report.
Nairobi City is the largest service sector contributor, accounting for 37.4% of the total services’ GVA. Similarly, the counties of Meru, Nakuru Nyandarua, Murang’a, and Kiambu record the highest agricultural production input, majorly in tea, coffee, maize, vegetables, and raw milk.
Again, Nairobi City positioned itself as a leader in the manufacturing sector, accounting for an average 36.9% of total manufacturing GVA. Mombasa, Kiambu, and Machakos closely follow, with a record share of 9.9%, 8.4%, and 7.8%, respectively.
The report shows that HomaBay, Kisumu, Siaya, Mombasa, and Marsabit lead in the finishing industry, accounting for 6.5% of the total agricultural GVA. At least 25 counties contributed 2.0% each to total agricultural GVA. However, grain farming counties Bungoma, Narok, Trans Nzoia, and Uasin Gishu contributed a combined 15.9 percent to the agricultural GVA.
Nairobi City, Kiambu, Nakuru, and Mombasa counties led in the secondary sector economic activities, including mining and quarrying, electricity, gas, steam, and air conditioning supply, water supply, sewage and waste management, remediation, and construction, representing more than 5% each of total GVA.
Kenya Richest Counties by Gros County Product
Nairobi City has the highest gross county product per capita of Kshs 802,344, nearly three times the national GDP per capita of Kshs 293,229, indicating its significance as Kenya’s major economic hub. Mombasa County has the highest GCP per capita of Kshs 507,337, more than the national average.
Other counties, including Nakuru, Nyeri, and Lamu, had their GCP per capita surpassing the national average, with a record Kshs 334,667, Kshs 317,459, and Kshs 304,024, respectively.
In the period under review, Nairobi County registered the highest gross county product of Kshs 2,866,017 million in 2023. Kiambu is the second-richest county in Kenya, after it recorded Kshs 529,291 million in 2023, up from Kshs 501,711 million in 2022. Nakuru holds the third position as the wealthiest county in Kenya, contributing a record Kshs 509,521 million to the economy in 2023.
