Kenya’s remittance inflows rose to $5.1bn in 2025.

Higher is better. Higher is better here because these inflows bring foreign currency into the country and give recipient households extra income without adding to debt. The latest figure, for 2025, is $5.1bn, up from $5bn a year earlier, a rise of 2.3%. That is the highest point since 2016, when the series stood at its low of $1.7bn. The 2025 figure sits at the top of its range over that span.

Why it matters. For many Kenyan households, money from relatives abroad pays for food, rent, school fees and medical bills, and some of it goes into building homes or small businesses. At $5.1bn, the inflow is a large and steady source of foreign currency for the country, helping it pay for imports. Firms that sell goods and services to remittance-receiving families, and the state, which gains from the dollars entering the economy, both benefit when the figure holds at this level.