Sending money to Ethiopia: costs and inflows
- Latest RPW quarter
- Q3 2025 1
- United States to Ethiopia, US$200
- 3.14% average total cost, Q3 2025 1
- United Kingdom to Ethiopia, £120
- 4.34% average total cost, Q3 2025 2
- Saudi Arabia to Ethiopia, US$200 equivalent
- 7.85% average total cost, Q3 2025 3
- Remittances, fiscal year 2024/25
- US$6.0 billion 5
- Transfer receipts, April to June 2025
- US$2.1 billion, down 11.7% 6
Average cost by corridor
The World Bank Remittance Prices Worldwide (RPW) database publishes these Q3 2025 averages for corridors into Ethiopia 1,23. Total cost is the fee plus the exchange rate margin, shown as a share of the amount sent 4.
| Corridor | Amount | Average fee | Exchange rate margin | Average total cost | Quarter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States to Ethiopia 1 | US$200 1 | US$6.76 1 | minus 0.24% 1 | 3.14% (US$6.27) 1 | Q3 2025 1 |
| United Kingdom to Ethiopia 2 | £120 2 | £2.26 2 | 2.45% 2 | 4.34% (£5.20) 2 | Q3 2025 2 |
| Saudi Arabia to Ethiopia 3 | US$200 equivalent 3 | SAR 19.93 3 | 5.19% 3 | 7.85% (SAR 58.86) 3 | Q3 2025 3 |
When the prices were collected
For the larger amount, RPW recorded an average total cost of 1.84% for US$500 from the United States and 3.52% for £300 from the United Kingdom in Q3 2025 1,2.
Types of provider
RPW groups providers as banks, money transfer operators (MTOs), mobile operators and post offices 4. The United States to Ethiopia sample lists bank and MTO services 1. All services in the United Kingdom to Ethiopia sample are MTOs 2. The Saudi Arabia to Ethiopia sample lists three services, all classed as MTOs 3.
Across all corridors in Q3 2025, banks averaged 14.99%, MTOs 4.72% and post offices 5.58% 4.
National Bank of Ethiopia figures
The National Bank of Ethiopia (NBE) magazine Birritu No. 142 lists remittances of US$6.0 billion for fiscal year 2024/25, marked as improved 5. It says the NBE launched the DEBO initiative to capture diaspora remittances that once flowed through informal channels 5. Its platform, Unite.et, lets Ethiopians abroad open bank accounts remotely 5. NBE plans to continue integrating diaspora remittances through formal channels in fiscal year 2025/26 5.
The NBE quarterly bulletin for the fourth quarter of 2024/25, April to June 2025, says total transfer receipts declined 11.7% to US$2.1 billion, mainly driven by a 66.3% drop in public transfers 6. It says private transfers remained unchanged from the previous year 6.
How Ethiopia corridors compare
All three Q3 2025 corridor averages above were below the Sub-Saharan Africa average of 8.46% 1,23,4. The Saudi Arabia to Ethiopia average was above the 5% corridor level in the UN SDG commitment cited by the World Bank 3,4.
Common questions
What does it cost to send US$200 from the US to Ethiopia?
The RPW average for Q3 2025 was 3.14%, or US$6.27 1.
What does it cost to send money from the UK to Ethiopia?
The RPW average for sending £120 in Q3 2025 was 4.34%, or £5.20 2.
How much did Ethiopia receive in remittances in 2024/25?
The NBE lists US$6.0 billion for fiscal year 2024/25 5.
Can Ethiopians abroad open a bank account remotely?
The NBE says its Unite.et platform lets Ethiopians abroad open bank accounts remotely 5.
Rules and fees change. Check the official site linked above before you apply or pay. Spotted an error? Email [email protected] with the official link.
Sources
- World Bank Remittance Prices Worldwide: Sending money from the United States to Ethiopia (Q3 2025 data)
- World Bank Remittance Prices Worldwide: Sending money from the United Kingdom to Ethiopia (Q3 2025 data)
- World Bank Remittance Prices Worldwide: Sending money from Saudi Arabia to Ethiopia (Q3 2025 data)
- World Bank: Remittance Prices Worldwide main report and annex, Q3 2025 data
- National Bank of Ethiopia: Birritu No. 142 (fiscal year 2024/25 review)
- National Bank of Ethiopia: Quarterly Bulletin, Fourth Quarter Report 2024/25
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