UN report: migrant remittances to low- and middle-income countries hit record $728.6 billion in 2025
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Migrant remittances to low- and middle-income countries reached a record $728.6 billion in 2025, according to a new report by the International Fund for Agricultural Development. The total exceeds official development assistance more than fourfold and surpasses foreign direct investment in these countries. The growth came even as only 35 percent of remittance services were fully digital on both ends of the transaction.
Key Facts
- Remittances to low- and middle-income countries reached $728.6 billion in 2025, a record high.
- The 2025 total is more than four times global official development assistance and exceeds foreign direct investment in these countries.
- Since 2016, remittance flows have grown by 94 percent, outpacing population and migration growth.
- An estimated 220 million migrants and diaspora members support 1.1 billion relatives worldwide.
- Asia and the Pacific received $384.9 billion in remittances over the past decade, 53 percent of the global total.
Record Global Flows
The International Fund for Agricultural Development reported that remittances to low- and middle-income countries reached $728.6 billion in 2025. The figure is more than four times global official development assistance and exceeds foreign direct investment in these countries. Since 2016, remittance volumes have risen 94 percent, outpacing population and migration growth. An estimated 220 million migrants and diaspora members support 1.1 billion relatives, meaning one in six people worldwide is connected to the remittance system.
Rural Impact
About one-third of all remittances, roughly $233 billion, flow to rural areas where formal employment, financial services, and infrastructure are weakest. Families receiving remittances invest about $22 billion annually in agrifood systems, supporting rural production, small enterprises, and employment. Remittances stimulate local markets, support businesses, create jobs, and strengthen food systems. For millions of rural families, receiving remittances is a first step toward savings, insurance, and access to credit, and increases resilience to economic and climate shocks.
Regional Distribution
Asia and the Pacific remain the global center of remittances, receiving $384.9 billion over the past decade, or 53 percent of the total. Latin America and the Caribbean showed the fastest growth, with remittance volumes up 132 percent to $168.6 billion. In Africa, private inflows from abroad grew 86 percent to $124.2 billion. In 23 countries, remittances account for more than 10 percent of GDP, and in nine they exceed the value of exports of goods and services.
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