Why relatives living abroad are not sending you money, gifts

Do you have a relative abroad? If so, do they send you "something small"? If they do not, the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) might have found the reason.

For the first time, the CBK has offered insights into the flow of remittances into the country, which, apart from explaining why your relative might be snubbing you, also shows that men prefer sending cash while women would rather send gifts or in-kind assistance.

The 2025 Remittances Household Survey Report estimates inflows from relatives and friends abroad at Sh931.8 billion, with 91.0 per cent in cash. The report also indicates how much money Kenyans are sending to relatives and friends outside the country with Sh40.5 billion leaving Kenya.

The report details how gender, age, education, employment status, field of work and relationship with the sender dictates how remittances flow into the country.

For example, having a university degree increases the chances of your relative sending you money from abroad compared to having no education.

Additionally, if your relative or friend who is abroad is a first-generation migrant, then they are likely to remember you.

Employment in the financial sector or insurance field also raises the chance that you will receive remittances compared to being in the arts.

According to the report compiled by the Central Bank of Kenya, Financial Sector Deepening (FSD) Kenya, and the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS), a majority of the senders are female, at 60.3 per cent.

Similarly, a majority of the recipients are female, at 56.3 per cent.

However, when it comes to the type of remittance, female senders are more likely to send in kind, while males would rather send cash.

The report shows that among males, cash remittances were the most common, with 338,520 males sending cash, compared to 84,807 who sent in-kind remittances and 24,148 who sent both types.

“This trend differed for females, the majority of whom reported sending in-kind support, with 403,405 individuals providing in-kind support compared to 241,497 who sent cash,” the report says. “Overall, a larger number of individuals (580,017) sent cash remittances, while 488,262 sent in-kind support.”

The age group of 30–39 is the most active among males when it comes to sending remittances, while for females, this is 50–59.

When it comes to receiving, for males, cash remittances were more commonly received across most age groups, except for age groups 0-9, 10-19, and 30-39 wherein-kind remittances were more prevalent.

On the flip side, for females, the proportion of cash and in-kind remittances to total remittance inflows was nearly equal.

“However, a greater number of female age groups, specifically age groups 0-9, 10-19, 60-69, and 80-89, reported receiving more in-kind remittances than cash. Overall, a higher number of female respondents reported receiving both types of remittances compared to their male counterparts,” the report says.

The report shows that a large proportion of remittances were received by individuals aged 30 to 39 years. This group received Sh411.7 billion, which accounted for 44.2 per cent of total remittance inflows.

“The largest share of remittance inflows was for individuals engaged in paid and self- employment,” the report explains.

While those in paid employment received Sh370.7 billion, representing 39.8 per cent of the total, those in self-employment received Sh361.8 billion, accounting for 38.8 per cent of the total.

“These two groups received more than three-quarters of the total remittance inflows, underscoring the important role of remittances in complementing labour income,” the report says.

Homemakers, according to the document, seem to be rewarded more with in-kind remittances at 15.9 per cent compared to cash, which stands at 7.4 per cent.

Students received a relatively higher share of in-kind remittance at 6.6 per cent, partly implying support received in the form of school-related items.

The analysis further shows recipients with university education received the largest amount of remittances, Sh286.7 billion, which represents 30.8 per cent of total remittance inflows.

Those with secondary education received Sh268.8 billion, accounting for 28.8 per cent.

Recipients with no education, the report says, received Sh68.6 billion, accounting for 7.4 per cent of total remittance inflows.

“However, they represented a disproportionately large share of in-kind remittance inflows at 25.8 per cent, implying in-kind inflows are more prevalent among this group,” the report explains.

Even so, university degree holders still receive more in-kind, at 35 per cent, compared to those with no education.

The report further explains how migration is one of the factors that impact remittance flows. This is based on the ties between the emigrants and the families or communities they leave behind.

The survey sought to understand the connections of remittance senders in the diaspora with their relatives in Kenya and how this connection affects the remittance inflows.

“It is worth noting that first generation individuals in the diaspora (individuals born in Kenya and migrated to another country) were the highest contributors of remittance inflows, both cash and in-kind,” the report says.

It shows that remittance inflows from first-generation individuals in the diaspora amounted to Sh797.5 billion during the survey period, with cash remittances accounting for 93.1 per cent of the total remittances received from this group of senders.

The amount of remittances, both cash and in-kind, sent by second and third generations in the diaspora amounted to Sh61.6 billion and Sh20.2 billion, respectively.

“The reduction in the remittance inflows from the second and third generations points to a decline in the level of connection between the children and grandchildren of the first-generation emigrants with their families in Kenya,” it says.

Rural dwellers are also more likely to receive remittances compared to urban.

“Recipients in rural areas received higher remittances than those in urban areas, driven mainly by males (Sh404.7 billion, while females received about half that amount Sh203.0 billion) and relatively more in-kind transfers (Sh47.5 billion),” the report says.

The bulk of the money sent abroad was sent to students, a majority in tertiary institutions.

"Households in Kenya sent a total of Sh40.5 billion in remittances during the reference period, with cash transfers accounting for 89.5 per cent of total outflows. These remittance flows were primarily directed to students abroad, who received more than two-thirds of the total, highlighting education as a major driver of outflows from Kenya.

"The prominence of  education-related remittances underscores the critical role of households in supporting tuition, living expenses, and settlement costs for Kenyans studying overseas.

"In addition, the concentration of outflows to students suggests that remittances are not only a source of household support but also an investment in human capital, with potential long-term benefits for both recipients and the broader economy."