Global CityIntelligence

Economy & jobs

Economy and jobs in Nairobi

Nairobi has a regional economy with strengths in government, agriculture and tourism.

Economy type
Regional center
Economy score
54/100

Economy overview

Nairobi has a regional economy with strengths in government, agriculture and tourism.

Nairobi, Kenya is classified as a regional center in our deterministic economy index. These are planning estimates derived from country economic priors and existing city signals — not measured GDP or labour-market statistics. Data year 2025; last updated 2026-05-16.

Key industries

The sectors that most shape the local economy, derived deterministically from country and city signals.

Key industries

  • Government
  • Agriculture
  • Tourism
  • Logistics

Employment outlook

The breadth of the labour market and where opportunities concentrate.

Employment outlook

Employment54/100
Job market53/100

Nairobi's labour market is developing, with opportunities concentrated in tourism and hospitality, finance and professional services and education and research.

Salary potential

Estimated pay levels and how far local incomes stretch against the cost of living.

Salary potential

Salary potential53/100
Affordability-adjusted income65/100

The affordability-adjusted income score combines estimated pay with the local cost of living, indicating how far a typical income stretches in Nairobi.

Business environment

Conditions for operating and growing a business locally.

Business environment

Business environment52/100

This reflects infrastructure, institutional capacity, and the scale of the local market relative to peer cities.

Startup ecosystem

How supportive the local ecosystem is for new ventures.

Startup ecosystem

Startup ecosystem52/100
Innovation52/100

The startup ecosystem in Nairobi is developing, supported by institutional and government presence.

Remote work suitability

Suitability for remote and distributed work.

Remote work suitability

Remote work52/100
Remote job availability53/100

Nairobi offers limited infrastructure and amenities for remote professionals, with a remote-work score of 52/100.

Career opportunities

Overall career opportunity and how it breaks down by sector.

Career opportunities

Overall career opportunity53/100
Technology52/100
Healthcare48/100
Finance57/100
Manufacturing53/100
Tourism61/100
Education53/100

Economy score

A 0–100 composite of employment, salary, business environment, startups, innovation, remote work, and affordability-adjusted income. Used consistently across the platform.

Economy score

Economy score54/100
Employment54/100
Salary53/100
Business environment52/100
Startup ecosystem52/100
Innovation52/100
Remote work52/100

Jobs score

A 0–100 labour-market composite and its sector components.

Jobs score

Job market53/100
Technology52/100
Healthcare48/100
Finance57/100
Manufacturing53/100
Tourism61/100
Education53/100
Remote availability53/100
Career opportunity53/100

Continue exploring

Continue researching this city across the platform's other planning surfaces.

Continue exploring