Kenya Quarterly Balance of Payments Third Quarter, 2019

Merchandise trade balance decreased by 6.7 per cent from a deficit of KSh 254.3 billion in the third quarter of 2018 to a deficit of KSh 237.3 billion in the third quarter of 2019 mainly as a result of 5.3 per cent decline in imports and 3.0 per cent decrease in exports. In the third quarter of 2019, international trade in service receipts increased by 1.0 per cent while service payments grew by 2.5 per cent resulting into 2.4 per cent decline in the net inflows to a surplus of KSh 40.3 billion. Remittances from the diaspora increased by 5.1 per cent to KSh 68.0 billion in the third quarter of 2019 and supported the increase in the secondary income account to a surplus of KSh 128.9 billion.