By Benadeta Mwaura - Reporter
Kenya, 16 June 2026 - The Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) has launched the country’s first-ever Household Remittances Survey, marking a significant step towards understanding how money sent by Kenyans abroad supports families, livelihoods, and the wider economy.
The survey, being conducted jointly with the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) and Financial Sector Deepening Kenya (FSD Kenya), seeks to capture detailed information on how households receive, send, and use remittances.
The initiative comes at a time when diaspora remittances have become one of Kenya’s leading sources of foreign exchange, surpassing earnings from traditional sectors such as tourism and key agricultural exports in recent years.
Unlike existing remittance data, which largely relies on information from banks and money transfer operators, the new survey will collect information directly from households across the country.
According to KNBS, the survey aims to establish the magnitude of money and in-kind support flowing into and out of Kenya, the channels used to transfer funds, associated transaction costs, and the challenges faced by both senders and recipients.
“The purpose of the 2025 RHS is to collect information on inward remittances (received) and outward remittances (sent), in form of money (cash) and in-kind (non-cash) from the formal and informal channels,” KNBS said.
The bureau added that the findings will provide critical data for policy formulation, research, and efforts to improve the remittances ecosystem.
The survey will also examine how remittance funds are utilised by households, including spending on education, healthcare, housing, daily consumption, business investments, and savings.
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KNBS defines remittances as money or non-cash support received by households from relatives, friends, or other individuals living abroad without requiring a corresponding exchange of goods or services. The definition also includes support sent by Kenyan households to family members or dependants living outside the country.
Data collection for the nationwide survey is expected to run through September, targeting selected households that either receive or send money across borders. Field officers conducting the exercise will carry official identification documents, and all information gathered will remain confidential under the Statistics Act.
According to CBK, the survey is expected to fill longstanding data gaps on the true cost of remittances, the role of informal transfer channels, and the impact of diaspora inflows on household welfare.
The findings are expected to guide government policies on migration, diaspora engagement, financial inclusion, and reducing remittance transaction costs.
Kenya’s diaspora community continues to play an increasingly important role in supporting households and strengthening the country’s external position, particularly during periods of economic uncertainty and foreign exchange pressures.
Once completed, the survey findings will be published in aggregated form by KNBS, CBK, and FSD Kenya.