Kuwait spending hits 42.3 billion dinars as instant payments surge 44%

Summary

• Total spending by citizens and residents reached 42.335 billion dinars in nine months, up 4.75%.
• Point-of-sale, ATM and online channels all declined while instant transfers jumped sharply.
• The shift reshapes transaction volumes for banks and retailers tracking payment behavior.

The latest

Spending by citizens and residents in Kuwait climbed to 42.335 billion dinars in the first nine months of 2026, an increase of 1.920 billion dinars over the same period a year earlier, according to Central Bank of Kuwait data. The growth came even as the three traditional payment channels contracted, with the entire expansion concentrated in instant transfers.

Details

• The headline figure: Central Bank of Kuwait data put combined spending by citizens and residents at 42.335 billion dinars for the first nine months of 2026, against 40.415 billion dinars in the corresponding period of 2025. The gain of 1.920 billion dinars represents growth of 4.75% year on year.
• Domestic versus abroad: Of the total, 39.954 billion dinars was spent inside Kuwait and 2.381 billion dinars outside the country, according to the central bank figures. Domestic transactions therefore account for the overwhelming majority of recorded spending, with overseas use representing a small share of the nine-month total.
• Point of sale: Spending through point-of-sale terminals fell 0.46% compared with the same period of 2025, per the central bank data. The decline is marginal in percentage terms but notable because card-present retail payments have historically carried the bulk of consumer transactions in the Kuwaiti market.
• ATM withdrawals: Cash withdrawals through automated teller machines dropped 6.3% year on year, the steepest contraction among the channels listed in the data. The fall points to a reduced role for physical cash in everyday transactions during the nine-month period.
• Online spending: Spending via websites declined 2% against the comparable period a year earlier, according to the central bank. That puts e-commerce channels alongside cards and ATMs in retreat, leaving instant payments as the only tracked channel to expand.
• Instant payments: Transactions through the instant payment service jumped 44.33% to 8.751 billion dinars, up from 6.06 billion dinars in the previous comparable period. The increase of roughly 2.69 billion dinars exceeds the total growth in overall spending across all channels combined.
• Transaction volumes: The instant payment service processed 135.438 million operations during the nine months, compared with 80.2 million in the earlier period, the central bank data showed. That is an addition of more than 55 million individual transactions year on year.
• Average ticket size: Dividing value by volume, the average instant transfer worked out to roughly 65 dinars, down from about 76 dinars a year earlier. The service is being used more often for smaller amounts, consistent with everyday rather than occasional payments.

Background

The instant payment service allows direct account-to-account transfers that settle immediately, bypassing card networks and cash withdrawal infrastructure. Its growth is measured separately from point-of-sale, ATM and online channels in the central bank's spending series.

Between the lines

The aggregate 4.75% rise conceals a channel reallocation rather than a uniform consumer boom: cards, ATMs and websites all shrank, and instant transfers alone added nearly 2.69 billion dinars. With average transfer size falling while volumes rose by more than 55 million operations, the data points to instant payments absorbing routine, low-value spending previously handled by cash and cards.

What's next

The central bank's full-year 2026 spending data will show whether point-of-sale and ATM declines deepen, and whether instant payment volumes hold their growth rate once the annual comparison period is complete.

Source: Central Bank of Kuwait, Al-Rai,