In One Island Nation Remittances From Abroad Are 50% Of GDP

Every year, migrant workers send hundreds of billions of dollars back to their home countries in the form of cash payments and gifts. In some countries, the vast amounts of personal remittances outpace foreign aid, dwarf investment flows, and rival exports in their importance to economic stability. More than a financial lifeline for families, personal remittances have become a cornerstone of many national economies.

Worldwide, personal remittances sent back home from workers abroad account for 0.7% of GDP. In some countries, however — where job opportunities are scare, political instability is high, and labor migration is a permanent feature of the economy — remittances send from abroad account for more than one-third of gross domestic product. While inflows of money from abroad help reduce poverty and sustain household consumption, overreliance on personal remittances leave countries exposed to downturns in host economies and disruptions in global migration patterns.

The map of global remittance flows is largely shaped by the destination economies supporting payments sent back home. In Central America and the Caribbean, migration flows to the United States sustain billions in remittances for countries like El Salvador, Honduras, and the Dominican Republic. Millions of workers in South Asian countries like Nepal, Pakistan, and Bangladesh migrate to oil-rich states in the Gulf, working in resource extraction and sending large shares of their paychecks to their home countries. Meanwhile, Soviet republics like Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan rely heavily on Russia. In smaller Pacific Island nations like Tonga and Samoa, remittance flows are heavily dependent on migrant workers in Australia and New Zealand. A closer look at the data reveals the countries most dependent on remittance payments sent from abroad.

To determine the countries most dependent on remittance payments sent from abroad, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed data from the World Bank. Countries were ranked based on personal remittances received as a share of gross domestic product. Personal remittances comprise personal transfers and compensation of employees, and consist of all current transfers in cash or in kind made or received by resident households to or from nonresident households. Supplemental data on GDP and unemployment are also from the World Bank.

40. Jordan

Personal remittances received from abroad: $4.5 billion (8.8% of GDP)
Personal remittances paid abroad: $543.5 million (1.0% of GDP)
Gross domestic product: $53.4 billion ($4,618 per capita)
National unemployment rate: 18.0%
Largest urban areas: Amman, Irbid, Madaba, Jerash, Al Salt, Aqaba, Al Tafile, Karak, Mota, Anjara

39. Dominican Republic

Personal remittances received from abroad: $11.2 billion (9.0% of GDP)
Personal remittances paid abroad: $1.2 billion (0.9% of GDP)
Gross domestic product: $124.3 billion ($10,876 per capita)
National unemployment rate: 5.5%
Largest urban areas: Santo Domingo, Santiago De Los Caballeros, San Cristóbal, La Vega, Puerto Plata, La Romana, Las Matas De Santa Cruz, San Juan De La Maguana, San Francisco De Macoris, Bonao

38. French Polynesia

Personal remittances received from abroad: $581.6 million (9.1% of GDP)
Personal remittances paid abroad: $22.7 million (0.4% of GDP)
Gross domestic product: $6.4 billion ($22,774 per capita)
National unemployment rate: 11.8%
Largest urban areas: Papeete, Lotissement Te Maru Ata, Vaipoopoo, Papara, Papeari

37. Fiji

Personal remittances received from abroad: $500.0 million (9.2% of GDP)
Personal remittances paid abroad: $13.6 million (0.2% of GDP)
Gross domestic product: $5.8 billion ($6,288 per capita)
National unemployment rate: 4.3%
Largest urban areas: Suva, Lautoka, Ba, Nadi, Nausori

36. Pakistan

Personal remittances received from abroad: $34.9 billion (9.4% of GDP)
Personal remittances paid abroad: $352.0 million (0.1% of GDP)
Gross domestic product: $373.1 billion ($1,485 per capita)
National unemployment rate: 5.5%
Largest urban areas: Karachi, Lahore, Faisalabad, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Multan, Peshawar, Hyderabad, Sialkot, Quetta

35. Zimbabwe

Personal remittances received from abroad: $3.3 billion (9.4% of GDP)
Personal remittances paid abroad: $33.3 million (0.1% of GDP)
Gross domestic product: $44.2 billion ($2,656 per capita)
National unemployment rate: 8.6%
Largest urban areas: Harare, Bulawayo, Chitungwiza, Vanguard Mine, Gweru, Glenclova, Mutare, Zaka, Tchoda, Checheche

34. South Sudan

Personal remittances received from abroad: $1.2 billion (9.5% of GDP)
Personal remittances paid abroad: $169.8 million (1.4% of GDP)
Gross domestic product: $12.0 billion ($1,080 per capita)
National unemployment rate: 12.5%
Largest urban areas: Malualkon, Aweil, Wau, Juba, Rumbek, Kuajok, Bor, Pieri, Alek, Yirol

33. Guinea-Bissau

Personal remittances received from abroad: $204.4 million (9.8% of GDP)
Personal remittances paid abroad: $84.8 million (4.0% of GDP)
Gross domestic product: $2.1 billion ($963 per capita)
National unemployment rate: 2.6%
Largest urban areas: Bissau, Bafatá, Bissorí, Gabú, Farim, Pitche, Mansí´a, Canchungo, Catió

32. Moldova

Personal remittances received from abroad: $1.9 billion (10.5% of GDP)
Personal remittances paid abroad: $512.4 million (2.8% of GDP)
Gross domestic product: $18.2 billion ($7,618 per capita)
National unemployment rate: 1.4%
Largest urban areas: Chișinău, Tiraspol, Bălți, Bender, Camenca, Ungheni, Sí®ngera, Basarabeasca, Căușeni, Soroca

31. Montenegro

Personal remittances received from abroad: $855.2 million (10.6% of GDP)
Personal remittances paid abroad: $196.3 million (2.4% of GDP)
Gross domestic product: $8.1 billion ($12,935 per capita)
National unemployment rate: 14.1%
Largest urban areas: Bijelo Polje, Podgorica, Niksic, Pljevlja, Berane, Bar, Herceg Novi, Rožaje, Cetinje, Ulcinj

30. Senegal

Personal remittances received from abroad: $3.3 billion (10.6% of GDP)
Personal remittances paid abroad: $339.6 million (1.1% of GDP)
Gross domestic product: $32.3 billion ($1,744 per capita)
National unemployment rate: 3.0%
Largest urban areas: Dakar, Touba, Thiès, Kaolack, Mbour, Saint-Louis, Diourbel, Tambacounda, Ziguinchor, Kolda

29. Bosnia and Herzegovina

Personal remittances received from abroad: $3.1 billion (11.0% of GDP)
Personal remittances paid abroad: $164.8 million (0.6% of GDP)
Gross domestic product: $28.3 billion ($8,957 per capita)
National unemployment rate: 10.7%
Largest urban areas: Sarajevo, Banja Luka, Bijeljina, Prijedor, Zenica, Tuzla, Doboj, Mostar, Teslić, Prnjavor

28. Nigeria

Personal remittances received from abroad: $21.3 billion (11.3% of GDP)
Personal remittances paid abroad: $92.3 million (0.0% of GDP)
Gross domestic product: $187.8 billion ($807 per capita)
National unemployment rate: 3.0%
Largest urban areas: Lagos, Kano, Onitsha, Ibadan, Benin City, Kaduna, Amaigbo, Aba, Ilorin, Enugu

27. Timor-Leste

Personal remittances received from abroad: $219.6 million (11.7% of GDP)
Personal remittances paid abroad: $118.5 million (6.3% of GDP)
Gross domestic product: $1.9 billion ($1,343 per capita)
National unemployment rate: 1.6%
Largest urban areas: Dili, Lospalos, Maubisse, Likisá, Same, Maliana, Racolo, Baucau, Pante Macassar, Gleno

26. Georgia

Personal remittances received from abroad: $4.0 billion (11.8% of GDP)
Personal remittances paid abroad: $312.8 million (0.9% of GDP)
Gross domestic product: $33.8 billion ($9,194 per capita)
National unemployment rate: 11.5%
Largest urban areas: Tbilisi, Kutaisi, Zugdidi, Batumi, Ozurgeti, Chiatura, Gori, Kobuleti, Senaki, Zestaponi

25. Pacific island small states

Personal remittances received from abroad: $634.3 million (11.9% of GDP)
Personal remittances paid abroad: $127.4 million (1.1% of GDP)
Gross domestic product: $12.0 billion ($4,399 per capita)
National unemployment rate: 3.1%
Largest urban areas: N/A

24. Cabo Verde

Personal remittances received from abroad: $336.1 million (12.1% of GDP)
Personal remittances paid abroad: $36.3 million (1.3% of GDP)
Gross domestic product: $2.8 billion ($5,273 per capita)
National unemployment rate: 11.9%
Largest urban areas: Joío Teves, Assomada (Santa Catarina), Mindelo, Espargos, Porto Novo, Porto De Ribeira Da Barca, Sío Filipe, Praia, Pilío Cío, Pedra Badejo

23. Vanuatu

Personal remittances received from abroad: $145.0 million (12.9% of GDP)
Personal remittances paid abroad: $19.1 million (1.6% of GDP)
Gross domestic product: $1.2 billion ($3,543 per capita)
National unemployment rate: 5.1%
Largest urban areas: Port Vila, Luganville

22. Marshall Islands

Personal remittances received from abroad: $34.5 million (13.3% of GDP)
Personal remittances paid abroad: $13.5 million (4.8% of GDP)
Gross domestic product: $280.4 million ($7,467 per capita)
National unemployment rate: 0.0%
Largest urban areas: Majuro

21. Uzbekistan

Personal remittances received from abroad: $16.6 billion (14.4% of GDP)
Personal remittances paid abroad: $737.0 million (0.6% of GDP)
Gross domestic product: $115.0 billion ($3,162 per capita)
National unemployment rate: 4.5%
Largest urban areas: Tashkent, Qarshi, Samarkand, Turtkul, Jizzax, Namangan, Fergana, Shahrisabz, Andijan, Termez

20. Somalia

Personal remittances received from abroad: $1.7 billion (15.8% of GDP)
Personal remittances paid abroad: $2.6 million (0.0% of GDP)
Gross domestic product: $12.1 billion ($637 per capita)
National unemployment rate: 18.9%
Largest urban areas: Mogadishu, Hargeisa, Baidoa, Burao, Bosaso, Borama, Kismayo, Galkayo, Banaadir, Buurhakaba

19. Yemen

Personal remittances received from abroad: $3.8 billion (17.5% of GDP)
Personal remittances paid abroad: $332.7 million (1.5% of GDP)
Gross domestic product: $21.6 billion ($433 per capita)
National unemployment rate: 17.1%
Largest urban areas: Sana'A, Ta'Izz, Hodeidah, Al Misrakh, Al Mansurah, An Najd, Milkan, Bani Sari, Al Misyar, Ath Thuja

18. Kosovo

Personal remittances received from abroad: $1.8 billion (17.5% of GDP)
Personal remittances paid abroad: $65.2 million (0.6% of GDP)
Gross domestic product: $11.1 billion ($7,299 per capita)
National unemployment rate: 0.0%
Largest urban areas: N/A

17. Jamaica

Personal remittances received from abroad: $3.6 billion (17.9% of GDP)
Personal remittances paid abroad: $313.0 million (1.6% of GDP)
Gross domestic product: $19.9 billion ($7,020 per capita)
National unemployment rate: 4.9%
Largest urban areas: Kingston, Montego Bay, Mandeville, May Pen, South Haven, Savanna-La-Mar, Ocho Rios, Port Kaiser, Buff Bay, Old Harbour

16. Liberia

Personal remittances received from abroad: $800.0 million (18.2% of GDP)
Personal remittances paid abroad: $127.3 million (2.7% of GDP)
Gross domestic product: $4.8 billion ($846 per capita)
National unemployment rate: 2.9%
Largest urban areas: Monrovia, Gbarnga, Kakata, Buchanan, Foya City, Ganta, Voinjama, Harbel City, Pleebo, Kolahun

15. Kyrgyz Republic

Personal remittances received from abroad: $2.9 billion (18.8% of GDP)
Personal remittances paid abroad: $1.2 billion (7.0% of GDP)
Gross domestic product: $17.5 billion ($2,419 per capita)
National unemployment rate: 3.3%
Largest urban areas: Bishkek, Osh, Uzgen, Nookat, Jalalabat, Gul'Cha, Kerben, Toktogul, Ak-Bulun

14. Haiti

Personal remittances received from abroad: $3.8 billion (18.9% of GDP)
Personal remittances paid abroad: $677.2 million (2.7% of GDP)
Gross domestic product: $25.2 billion ($2,143 per capita)
National unemployment rate: 15.1%
Largest urban areas: Anse-í€-Galets, Port-Au-Prince, Cap-Haitien, Mirebalais, Ouanaminthe, Grand Goí¢ve, Gonaí¯ves, Anse-Rouge, Sarazin, Bois Neuf

13. Guatemala

Personal remittances received from abroad: $21.6 billion (19.1% of GDP)
Personal remittances paid abroad: $34.2 million (0.0% of GDP)
Gross domestic product: $113.2 billion ($6,150 per capita)
National unemployment rate: 2.2%
Largest urban areas: Guatemala City, Quetzaltenango, San Pedro Carchá, Escuintla, Huehuetenango, Cobán, San José Pinula, San Pedro Sacatepéquez, Ciudad Vieja, Jalapa

12. The Gambia

Personal remittances received from abroad: $528.8 million (21.1% of GDP)
Personal remittances paid abroad: $9.8 million (0.4% of GDP)
Gross domestic product: $2.5 billion ($909 per capita)
National unemployment rate: 6.5%
Largest urban areas: Serrekunda, Banjul, Bansang, Farafenni, Basse Santa Su, Brikama, Barra, Soma, Kerr Cosa, Dankunku

11. Comoros

Personal remittances received from abroad: $305.6 million (21.4% of GDP)
Personal remittances paid abroad: $5.8 million (0.4% of GDP)
Gross domestic product: $1.5 billion ($1,784 per capita)
National unemployment rate: 3.9%
Largest urban areas: Fomboni, Moroni, Ù…Ø¨ØªØ³ÙŠ Mbatsé, Seleani, Nioumachoua, Ouhozi, M'Djoiezi Hambou, Hahaia, Hasendje, Mutsamudu

10. Lesotho

Personal remittances received from abroad: $499.3 million (22.0% of GDP)
Personal remittances paid abroad: $3.0 million (0.1% of GDP)
Gross domestic product: $2.3 billion ($972 per capita)
National unemployment rate: 16.1%
Largest urban areas: Maseru, Ha-Chonapase, Mafeteng, Maputsoe, Ha Long, Mohale'S Hoek, Pitseng London, Ha Fako

9. Bermuda

Personal remittances received from abroad: $2.0 billion (23.7% of GDP)
Personal remittances paid abroad: $176.2 million (2.0% of GDP)
Gross domestic product: $9.0 billion ($138,935 per capita)
National unemployment rate: 0.0%
Largest urban areas: Hamilton, Little Sound, St. George'S

8. El Salvador

Personal remittances received from abroad: $8.5 billion (24.0% of GDP)
Personal remittances paid abroad: $256.1 million (0.7% of GDP)
Gross domestic product: $35.4 billion ($5,580 per capita)
National unemployment rate: 2.8%
Largest urban areas: San Salvador, Santa Ana, San Miguel, Sonsonate, Ahuachapan, Usulután, Chalchuapa, Lourdes, San Juan Nonualco, La Unión

7. Honduras

Personal remittances received from abroad: $9.5 billion (25.7% of GDP)
Personal remittances paid abroad: $346.1 million (0.9% of GDP)
Gross domestic product: $37.1 billion ($3,426 per capita)
National unemployment rate: 6.1%
Largest urban areas: Tegucigalpa, San Pedro Sula, Choluteca, El Progreso, La Ceiba, Puerto Cortés, Danli, Comayagua, Pespire

6. Samoa

Personal remittances received from abroad: $282.3 million (26.4% of GDP)
Personal remittances paid abroad: $47.9 million (4.5% of GDP)
Gross domestic product: $1.1 billion ($4,899 per capita)
National unemployment rate: 4.6%
Largest urban areas: Apia, Puipa'A, Faleasiu, Vaiusu

5. Nicaragua

Personal remittances received from abroad: $5.2 billion (26.6% of GDP)
Personal remittances paid abroad: $145.7 million (0.7% of GDP)
Gross domestic product: $19.7 billion ($2,848 per capita)
National unemployment rate: 4.6%
Largest urban areas: Managua, León, Nueva Guinea, Chinandega, Masaya, Granada, Esteli, Matagalpa, Jinotega, El Viejo

4. Nepal

Personal remittances received from abroad: $14.2 billion (33.1% of GDP)
Personal remittances paid abroad: $63.4 million (0.1% of GDP)
Gross domestic product: $42.9 billion ($1,447 per capita)
National unemployment rate: 10.7%
Largest urban areas: Banepa, Beni, Birendranagar, Tamaghat, Biratnagar, Pokhara, Kathmandu, Lubughat, Kusma, Chhinchu

3. Lebanon

Personal remittances received from abroad: $6.7 billion (33.3% of GDP)
Personal remittances paid abroad: $1.8 billion (8.8% of GDP)
Gross domestic product: $20.1 billion ($3,478 per capita)
National unemployment rate: 11.5%
Largest urban areas: Beirut, Tripoli, Saida, Zouk Bhanine, Zahlé, Memneh, Bezbina, Tyre, Halba, Baalbek

2. Tajikistan

Personal remittances received from abroad: $6.8 billion (47.9% of GDP)
Personal remittances paid abroad: $586.1 million (4.1% of GDP)
Gross domestic product: $14.2 billion ($1,341 per capita)
National unemployment rate: 11.6%
Largest urban areas: Dushanbe, Khujand, Ghafurov, Khorugh, Kulob, Proletar, Hisor, Khistevarz

1. Tonga

Personal remittances received from abroad: $256.9 million (50.0% of GDP)
Personal remittances paid abroad: $27.8 million (5.5% of GDP)
Gross domestic product: $508.7 million ($4,864 per capita)
National unemployment rate: 2.2%
Largest urban areas: Nuku'Alofa