Kenya leads East African credit unions in savings and assets, WOCCU report shows
The report shows that Kenya's 352 credit unions serve about 7.8mln members, with savings and shares of US$ 5.81 billion, loans of US$ 6.55bln and total assets of US$ 8.34bln
KAMPALA, September 9, 2026 — Kenya’s credit union movement has emerged as the strongest in East Africa in terms of savings, lending and assets, while Rwanda has the region’s largest membership, according to the World Council of Credit Unions [WOCCU] Statistical Report 2025, released recently.
The report shows that Kenya’s 352 credit unions serve about 7.8mln members, with savings and shares of US$ 5.81 billion, loans of US$ 6.55bln and total assets of US$ 8.34bln.
Rwanda, despite having fewer credit unions than Uganda and Tanzania, records the region’s largest membership, with 14.81mln members across 342 credit unions. Its credit unions hold US$ 201.08mln in savings and shares, have issued US$ 265.44mln in loans and report assets of US$ 390.02mln.
Tanzania ranks second in the region by the number of credit unions, with 984 institutions serving 1.9mln members. The country’s credit unions have accumulated US$ 387.62mln in savings and shares, extended US$ 434.62mln in loans and hold total assets of US$ 623.84mln.
Uganda has the largest number of credit unions among the four countries, with 1,398 institutions, but its 851,711 members represent a much smaller membership base than those of Kenya, Tanzania and Rwanda.
Ugandan credit unions reported US$ 83.08mln in savings and shares and US$ 216.58mln in loans, while their total assets stood at US$ 612.50mln. Institutional capital and reserves were not reported for Uganda in the report.
The figures highlight significant differences in the structure and financial scale of credit union movements across East Africa. Uganda has nearly four times as many credit unions as Kenya, yet Kenya’s savings and shares are almost 70 times higher, while its total assets are more than 13 times those reported by Uganda.
Rwanda presents a different picture, with the highest membership among the four countries despite having the fewest credit unions apart from Kenya. Its 14.81mln members are more than 17 times Uganda’s membership and almost twice Kenya’s.
Tanzania’s 984 credit unions also serve more than twice Uganda’s membership, while its savings and shares are more than four times Uganda’s reported figure.
The report also shows that Kenya has the largest institutional capital and reserves position among the four countries at US$ 1.05bln, followed by Rwanda at US$ 148.61mln and Tanzania at US$ 73.08mln.
Africa’s credit union movement
The four East African countries are among 25 African countries captured in the WOCCU 2025 Statistical Report.
Across Africa, the report records 25,609 credit unions serving 58.87mln members. The institutions hold US$ 13.30bln in savings and shares, have extended US$ 13.66bln in loans, and report US$1.52bln in institutional capital and reserves. Their combined assets stand at US$ 19.57bln.
The African figures are considerably smaller than those recorded in several other regions, particularly North America, which accounts for the largest share of the global credit union movement’s financial assets.
North America’s 4,653 credit unions serve 156.24mln members, with savings and shares of US$ 2.55trn, loans of US$ 2.21trn, institutional capital and reserves of US$ 311.23bln, and total assets of US$ 2.99trn.
Asia, with 23,347 credit unions and 124.06 million members, reports US$ 438.68bln in savings and shares, US$ 311.78bln in loans, institutional capital and reserves of US$ 26.12bln, and assets of US$ 522.97bln.
Latin America records 5,454 credit unions serving 63.25mln members, with US$ 181.38bln in savings and shares, US$ 169.73bln in loans, US$ 40.77bln in institutional capital and reserves, and total assets of US$ 265.58bln.
Europe has 2,501 credit unions serving 8.94mln members, with savings and shares of US$ 33.93bln, loans of US$ 17.68bln, institutional capital and reserves of US$ 5.62bln, and assets of US$ 42.35bln.
The Caribbean has 219 credit unions serving 2.98mln members, with US$ 9.39bln in savings and shares, US$ 6.88bln in loans, US$ 1.34bln in institutional capital and reserves, and assets of US$ 11.17bln.
Oceania records 55 credit unions and 5.54mln members, with US$ 108.36bln in savings and shares, US$ 102.31bln in loans, US$ 8.80bln in institutional capital and reserves, and total assets of US$ 130.53bln.
Global credit union movement
The 2025 Statistical Report presents WOCCU’s best available picture of the global credit union and financial cooperative movement, covering approximately 420mln members across 93 countries and nearly US$ 4trn in assets.
WOCCU says the figures demonstrate the scale of cooperative finance and its important role in financial systems around the world.
The report draws on data from national and regional credit union associations, regulators, central banks and other authoritative sources.
Through its global network of 85 national and regional member organisations, WOCCU says it is also strengthening relationships and data infrastructure to improve the quality, consistency and usefulness of global credit union statistics over time.
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