Remittance Costs Statistics in Zimbabwe (2026)
According to World Bank World Development Indicators data, the average cost of sending remittances in Zimbabwe came to 5.3% of the amount sent in 2023. Up from 3.5% in 2022 to 5.3% in 2023 (+1.8 percentage points). Zimbabwe ranks #19 of 32 economies in Sub-Saharan Africa on this measure, and #78 of 101 globally.
Key Statistics
- Latest value (2023)
- 5.3% (2023)
- Remittance Costs in Zimbabwe as of 2023, the most recent observation in World Bank World Development Indicators data.
- Change since 2022
- +1.8 pp (2023)
- Up from 3.5% in 2022 to 5.3% in 2023 (+1.8 percentage points).
- Earliest value in this dataset (2016)
- 11.3% (2016)
- Earliest observation in this dataset, which covers 1990 onward (the source series may begin earlier). Down from 11.3% in 2016 to 5.3% in 2023.
- Peak value (2016)
- 11.3% (2016)
- Highest value in the available series; the 2023 value is 5.3%.
- Rank in Sub-Saharan Africa (lower is better; rank 1 = lowest)
- #19 of 32 (2023)
- Zimbabwe ranks 19 of 32 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa with data, based on each country's latest value. Ranked ascending because lower values are better for this metric.
- Global rank (lower is better; rank 1 = lowest)
- #78 of 101 (2023)
- Zimbabwe ranks 78 of 101 countries with data globally. Ranked ascending because lower values are better for this metric.
- Sub-Saharan Africa average
- 5.2% (2023)
- Zimbabwe (5.3%) is above the average of 5.2% across the 32 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa with data.
- Personal remittances, received (current US$) (2024)
- $3.5 billion (2024)
- Related indicator from World Bank World Development Indicators.
- Internet use in Zimbabwe (2024)
- 41.6% (2024)
- 41.6% of the population in Zimbabwe used the internet in 2024 (World Bank); shown for context only.
- Population (2024)
- 16.6 million (2024)
- Zimbabwe had a population of 16.6 million in 2024 (World Bank); shown for scale only.
Trend, 2016–2023
| Year | % of amount sent | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 5.3% | +1.8 pp |
| 2022 | 3.5% | −1.9 pp |
| 2021 | 5.4% | −0.2 pp |
| 2020 | 5.6% | −1.2 pp |
| 2019 | 6.9% | +0.3 pp |
| 2018 | 6.6% | −1.3 pp |
| 2017 | 7.9% | −3.4 pp |
| 2016 | 11.3% | — |
Frequently asked questions
What is the latest figure for average cost of sending remittances in Zimbabwe?
The average cost of sending remittances in Zimbabwe stood at 5.3% of the amount sent in 2023, according to World Bank World Development Indicators data.
How does Zimbabwe compare with other countries in Sub-Saharan Africa?
Zimbabwe ranks 19 of 32 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa with data (ranked ascending; lower is better), with 5.3% versus a regional average of 5.2% (latest values per country).
Where does Zimbabwe rank globally on remittance costs?
Zimbabwe ranks 78 of 101 countries with data globally (ranked ascending; lower is better), based on the latest World Bank World Development Indicators value for each country.
When did remittance costs in Zimbabwe peak?
The highest value in the available series was 11.3% in 2016; the latest (2023) value is 5.3%.
How recent is the remittance costs data for Zimbabwe?
The most recent observation is from 2023. World Bank World Development Indicators data is reported with a lag, so 2023 is the latest available year for Zimbabwe.
Source & methodology
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator
SI.RMT.COST.IB.ZS, retrieved .
Figures are shown exactly as published in the source dataset; only the change column of the trend table is computed from adjacent published values.Read more on the methodology page. All figures are estimates and projections; this is not financial advice.
Last updated .