2025 Remittances Household Survey (2025 RHS)
“Remittance flows for sustainable development”
What are Remittances?
Remittances are support received by households in Kenya from households outside Kenya. The support is received/sent inform 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 senders of the support include Kenyans living and working abroad to their families, relatives and friends living in Kenya. Remittances also include support sent by households in Kenya to non-resident households outside Kenya.
Importance of Remittances
Remittances supplement households’ income and contribute to improved household welfare. Remittances also support education and healthcare thereby contributing towards poverty reduction. Remittances inflow is one of the Kenya’s top foreign exchange earner. The creation of the State Department for Diaspora Affairs and policy initiatives such as the Kenya Diaspora Policy 2024 emphasizes the government commitment to leverage remittances as a source of finance for development at both household and national level. Moreover, the government also encourages investment in information and technology with an aim of reducing the cost of money transfer and provide an incentive framework for diaspora participation in national development.
Purpose of the 2025 RHS
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. This will provide data on remittances necessary for purposes of improving national statistics for planning, research and policy formulation including those related to supporting the remittance flows.
Objectives of the 2025 RHS
The overall objectives of the 2025 RHS is to collect information on remittance flows into and out of Kenya. Specifically, the survey seeks to establish: –
- The magnitude of remittance flows into Kenya and out of Kenya, both money and in-kind (non-cash).
- The efficiency and cost of various remittance channels.
- The usage of remittances received or sent.
- The difficulties encountered in sending or receiving money or in-kind (non-cash) transfers.
- Provide policy recommendations for improving the remittances market.
Who is conducting the 2025 RHS?
The Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) in collaboration with the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) and Financial Sector Deepening Kenya (FSD Kenya) is conducting the 2025 Remittances Household Survey (RHS).
Data collection period
The survey will be conducted between June and September 2025.
Information to be collected
The 2025 RHS seeks to collect information on remittance flows into Kenya and out of Kenya both in cash and non-cash through formal & informal channels, their uses, and the cost/fee associated with receiving or sending the money or non-cash gifts.
Target Respondent
2025 RHS will be administered to households in Kenya who have received or sent remittances.
Authority
The Statistics Act, CAP 112 Laws of Kenya [Rev. 2022] empowers KNBS to collect Remittance Statistics in Kenya, among other statistics. Households are legally bound to provide the required information.
Confidentiality
Confidentiality of statistical information provided is guaranteed under the Statistics Act, CAP 112 Laws of Kenya [Rev. 2022] which can be accessed on the KNBS Website (www.knbs.or.ke). All the information provided will be treated with utmost confidentiality and will only be used for statistical purposes. The 2025 RHS personnel are under oath not to divulge information provided by the households to a third party.
Our appeal
Your positive participation in the survey will help generate data to unlock the full potential of remittances for economic development. By providing accurate and reliable information, you will contribute to improving the livelihoods of millions of Kenyans and shaping policies that strengthen our nation’s economic resilience.
Download 2025 Household Remittance Survey Brochure
We encourage sampled households to provide the required data.