Somalia Spent $450.4M on Khat Imports in 2025, More Than Domestic Revenue

MOGADISHU, Oct 27 — Somalia imported $450.4 million worth of khat in 2025, more than the $404.3 million the federal government collected in domestic revenue that year, according to figures in a report by the National Economic Council.

The State of the Economy Report 2026, prepared by the council under the Office of the President, lists khat among Somalia’s leading import categories, based on Central Bank of Somalia data. Food was the largest at $2.4 billion, followed by construction materials, medical products, clothing and footwear, oil and gas, and vehicles and spare parts.

The khat import bill was equal to almost half of the $922.9 million Somalia earned from livestock, its main export, according to the report’s figures. It was also about 13 times larger than the country’s fish exports, which the report put at $34.9 million.

Kenyan khat, known as miraa, is the main type brought into the country and is flown in by plane.

Kenya’s agriculture minister, Mutahi Kagwe, told parliament in December 2025 that his country exports 13 to 17 tonnes of miraa to Somalia every day. Kenyan officials said more than 17 million kilograms had been sent to Somalia since the market reopened in July 2022.