Ethiopia led recorded remittance dollars while Burundi led on GDP share

What the two rankings measure

The dollar series shows the size of recorded inflows. The share divides those flows by annual GDP to show their size relative to each economy. In 2024 Kenya received about USD 5.00 billion, or 4.15% of GDP, while Rwanda recorded about USD 517 million, or 3.42%. Source 1 Source 3

A large movement in the Ethiopia series

The source puts Ethiopia at USD 539 million in 2023 and USD 7.14 billion in 2024. The published series establishes the size of the change in reported receipts. Explaining the jump would require evidence on reporting coverage, channels and exchange-rate effects. Source 3

How incomplete coverage affects the picture

South Sudan has a 2023 dollar figure of USD 1.18 billion but no GDP share for that year in this extract. Somalia has no observation in either series here. The six-country comparison covers only countries with both measures for 2024. Source 1 Source 3

What balance-of-payments receipts include

The World Bank definition combines personal transfers and compensation earned by certain workers employed outside their economy of residence. The series describes the recorded flow to an economy. Household surveys are needed to study who receives it and how they use it. Source 4

Sources

• World Bank personal remittances as a share of GDP
• World Development Indicators series definition
• World Bank personal remittances received in current US dollars
• World Development Indicators series definition