Personal remittances and foreign aid received in Kenya

Kenya: Personal remittances and foreign aid received was 3.77 billion current US$ in 2021. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2021)
3.77 billion current US$
Change on year
up 21.3%
World rank
42nd
of 193 countries
All-time high
3.77 billion current US$
in 2021
All-time low
7.26 million current US$
in 1970
Years of data
52
1970–2021

Personal remittances and foreign aid received in Kenya, 1970–2021

01.0B2.0B3.0B4.0B197019952021

Source: World Bank based on International Monetary Fund balance of payments data (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in current US$.

Analysis

The most recent figure for personal remittances and foreign aid received in Kenya is 3.77 billion current US$, measured in 2021. That is the highest value across all 52 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 21.3% on the previous year and up 303.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, personal remittances and foreign aid received in Kenya peaked at 3.77 billion current US$ in 2021 and was at its lowest, 7.26 million current US$, in 1970.

Kenya ranks 42nd of 193 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 14.65 million current US$ 7.26 million current US$ 26.40 million current US$ 10
1980s 63.89 million current US$ 27.72 million current US$ 89.10 million current US$ 10
1990s 243.20 million current US$ 87.50 million current US$ 584.85 million current US$ 10
2000s 402.71 million current US$ 50.91 million current US$ 667.32 million current US$ 10
2010s 1.64 billion current US$ 685.76 million current US$ 2.84 billion current US$ 10
2020s 3.44 billion current US$ 3.11 billion current US$ 3.77 billion current US$ 2

Countries ranked near Kenya

  1. 39 Netherlands 3.96 billion current US$ compare
  2. 40 Spain 3.95 billion current US$ compare
  3. 41 Yemen 3.77 billion current US$ compare
  4. 43 Palestine 3.76 billion current US$ compare
  5. 44 Hungary 3.76 billion current US$ compare
  6. 45 Jamaica 3.71 billion current US$ compare

See the full ranking of 193 places →

More reference data data for Kenya

All data for Kenya →

Frequently asked questions

What is personal remittances and foreign aid received in Kenya?
Personal remittances and foreign aid received in Kenya was 3.77 billion current US$ in 2021, according to World Bank based on International Monetary Fund balance of payments data (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest personal remittances and foreign aid received recorded in Kenya?
The highest recorded value was 3.77 billion current US$ in 2021.
What is the lowest personal remittances and foreign aid received recorded in Kenya?
The lowest recorded value was 7.26 million current US$ in 1970.
How does Kenya rank for personal remittances and foreign aid received?
Kenya ranks 42nd out of 193 countries with data for 2021.
Is personal remittances and foreign aid received rising or falling in Kenya?
Over the last ten years it is up 303.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Kenya data come from?
The figures come from World Bank based on International Monetary Fund balance of payments data (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Personal remittances and foreign aid received. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

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About this data

Indicator
Personal remittances and foreign aid received
Unit
current US$
Source
World Bank based on International Monetary Fund balance of payments data (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
193 places, 6,518 data points, 1970–2021
Last refreshed

Remittances are financial transfers from non-residents to residents of a country, such as a worker abroad sending money to family and friends. Foreign aid is measured as official development assistance. Both are measured in current US$.