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The June 2026 report indicates that several commonly used household items registered price increases between May and June, making routine spending more expensive for consumers.
The breakdown of transfers shows that those in paid employment received Sh5.06 billion from relatives in Kenya, with Sh2.38 billion in cash and Sh2.67 billion in in-kind support. Students abroad were mainly supported through cash transfers, with very little in-kind assistance recorded.
The report, launched on Tuesday, June 16, revealed that Kenyans living abroad sent home remittances worth Sh931.8 billion between June 2024 and May 2025, with a significant share of the money directed towards consumption rather than investment.
The survey places diaspora remittances among Kenya’s strongest foreign exchange earners, at times surpassing key traditional export sectors.ey
Kenya continues to import large quantities of essential commodities including wheat, rice, edible oils and sugar, while yellow maize is also brought in from time to time to cover shortages during dry spells and stabilise supply.
New figures contained in the 2026 Economic Survey show maize imports increased by 51.4 percent to 468,109 metric tonnes in 2025, reversing two consecutive years of decline.
The PS explained that KNBS reported 238,000 construction jobs in 2025, a figure that reflects annual employment across the entire construction sector. He noted that broader estimates place total sector employment, including indirect roles, at about 765,000 jobs.
He says the country is underperforming compared to its regional peers despite stable global growth.
Latest figures from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics show that electronic waste rose by 4.5 percent in 2025, reaching 55,956 metric tons, compared to 53,559 metric tons the previous year. The trend reflects a steady climb from 48,461 tonnes recorded in 2021, pointing to a growing challenge in managing discarded electronics.
One of the weakest performers was sugar, where output dropped by 24.8 per cent to 613,000 metric tonnes in 2025. Soft drinks production moved in the opposite direction, rising by 4.9 per cent to 703.7 million litres, although this was lower than the 15.6 per cent expansion recorded the previous year. Processed milk also posted gains, increasing from 619.1 million litres in 2024 to 701.5 million litres in 2025.
Education experts say the increase reflects continued government focus on early childhood education, alongside community-driven efforts that have encouraged parents to take children to school earlier. Programmes targeting girls have also helped reduce barriers that once kept many out of class.
Suna East MP Junet Mohamed said the 2026 Economic Survey shows Kenya’s economy is strengthening and ranks third in sub-Saharan Africa. Speaking in Bomet during a burial, he pointed to road works, maize output and jobs.