By W, KNA
The first ever Remittances Household Survey (RHS) has commenced with the aim of collecting information on international remittances flows.
Remittances are support received by households in Kenya from households outside Kenya, received in form of money (cash) and/or in-kind (non-cash) without requiring the
recipient to provide a corresponding item of economic value (good or service).
The Central Bank of Kenya (CBK), in collaboration with the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) and the Financial Sector Deepening Kenya (FSD Kenya), announced the commencement of the 2025 RHS Tuesday, saying the remittances will also include support sent by households in Kenya to non-resident households outside Kenya.
According to a press statement by CBK, the survey will be conducted between July and September 2025, with the field personnel visiting selected households that have received or sent remittances.
CBK collects data on international remittances received through authorized international remittance service providers, such as Commercial Banks, Money Transfer Operators and Mobile Network Operators.
Remittance inflows have increased in recent years, with total remittances in 2024 reaching a record Sh. 666.7 billion, estimated at Four percent of Kenya’s GDP. This surpassed the previous record of Sh. 586.0 billion in 2023.
“With remittance transactions growing in importance, it is imperative that accurate and comprehensive data is collected on remittance flows,” the statement said.
CBK says that the 2025 RHS therefore represents the amount, uses, cost, and challenges that will inform policy formulation, including those related to supporting the remittance flows.