Remittances Now Make Up 3.7% of Kenya's GDP
Remittances now make up 3.7% of Kenya’s GDP, with Ksh1.15 trillion sent home from June 2024 to May 2025, says CBK, highlighting their key role in household incomes and the national economy.
CBK: Remittances now account for 3.7% of Kenya’s GDP
The Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) said remittances have become a significant pillar of Kenya’s external stability, contributing about 3.7 percent of gross domestic product and topping Ksh1.15 trillion in inflows over the 12 months to May 2025.
The figures come from the CBK’s 2025 Remittances Household Survey Report, which the bank has launched and publicised on its official channels. The survey, the bank said, tracks the changing role of diaspora money in household incomes and the broader macroeconomy.
What the survey found
CBK reported that the estimated Ksh1.15 trillion in remittances covered the period June 2024 to May 2025 and that most transfers—91 percent—were received in cash while 9 percent were received in kind. The survey mapped how remittances support households across the country: 42 percent of recipient households use them as supplementary income, 36 percent as additional income and 22 percent rely on them as their main source of livelihood, the report said.
"We are now seeing remittances as a pillar of macroeconomic stability."
Channels and delivery
The CBK survey showed that banks remain the dominant formal channel for remittance receipts, accounting for 43.7 percent of declared formal inflows, followed by mobile money platforms at 33 percent. Money transfer operators and informal channels make up the remainder, the report said.
Key details from the CBK survey
- Remittances = 3.7% of Kenya’s GDP.
- Ksh1.15 trillion in inflows between June 2024 and May 2025.
- 91% of remittances received in cash; 9% in kind.
- Household reliance: 42% supplementary, 36% additional, 22% main income.
- Channels: banks 43.7%, mobile money 33%; others fill the rest.
Why the data matters
CBK framed the findings as evidence that remittances now play a macroeconomic role beyond household support, acting as a buffer amid shifting global capital flows and external pressures. The survey’s household-level breakdown also highlights the diverse ways diaspora income is absorbed into local consumption and livelihoods.
The 2025 Remittances Household Survey Report is available through CBK channels, where the bank has summarised the findings and shared the data underpinning the headline figures.