Money sent home by workers abroad (share of GDP) over time (1990–2024)
Follow money sent home by workers abroad (share of GDP) for the world’s countries, year by year, from 1990 to 2024.
- The country ranked first changed over time: Lesotho in 1990–2005, Moldova in 2006, Tajikistan in 2007–2008, Lesotho in 2009, Tajikistan in 2010–2014, Tonga in 2015–2021, Tajikistan in 2022, Tonga in 2023, Tajikistan in 2024.
- Japan’s money sent home by workers abroad (share of GDP) went from 0.0% in 1991 to 0.1% in 2024 (up 0.1 points).
- Japan ranked #106 of 111 countries in 1991 and #140 of 156 in 2024. The number of countries differs between the years, so the ranks are not directly comparable.
Japan and countries at the top, middle and bottom
| Country | 1990 | 2000 | 2010 | 2020 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Tajikistan | – | – | 35.8% | 26.9% | 47.2% |
 Ukraine | – | 1.3% | 4.6% | 9.7% | 6.3% |
 Belgium | 1.7% | 1.7% | 2.3% | 2.5% | 2.3% |
 Botswana | 2.3% | 0.3% | 0.2% | 0.3% | 0.7% |
 Japan | – | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
 Papua New Guinea | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Countries with data | 109 | 147 | 170 | 169 | 156 |
Ranking and map for any year
Choose a year to see that year’s top countries and the world map. Colors split that year’s ranking into seven steps.
| Rank | Country | Money sent home by workers abroad (share of GDP) |
|---|
Biggest changes, 1990–2024
Compared among the countries that have data in both 1990 and 2024. Countries with a very small starting value are left out, because their ratios look exaggerated.
| Country | 1990 | 2024 | Change | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Honduras | 1.7% | 25.7% | up 24.1 points | #42 → #5 |
 Tonga | 21.1% | 39.4% | up 18.3 points | #3 → #2 |
 Guatemala | 1.6% | 19.1% | up 17.6 points | #46 → #12 |
 El Salvador | 7.6% | 24.3% | up 16.7 points | #11 → #6 |
 Jamaica | 5.0% | 16.2% | up 11.2 points | #20 → #15 |
| Country | 1990 | 2024 | Change | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Lesotho | 167.4% | 19.9% | down 147.5 points | #1 → #11 |
 Samoa | 34.2% | 24.0% | down 10.2 points | #2 → #7 |
 Kiribati | 14.1% | 4.3% | down 9.8 points | #5 → #49 |
 Eswatini | 10.1% | 0.7% | down 9.4 points | #8 → #114 |
 Cape Verde | 19.3% | 12.3% | down 7 points | #4 → #17 |
The number of countries differs between the years, so the ranks are not directly comparable.
All countries in key years
Open the table (countries with data)
| Country | 1990 | 2000 | 2010 | 2020 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tajikistan | – | – | 35.8% | 26.9% | 47.2% |
| Tonga | 21.1% | – | 20.2% | 37.5% | 39.4% |
 Nicaragua | – | 6.3% | 9.4% | 14.6% | 26.6% |
 Nepal | – | 2.0% | 21.6% | 24.3% | 26.0% |
| Honduras | 1.7% | 6.6% | 16.5% | 23.9% | 25.7% |
| El Salvador | 7.6% | 15.0% | 18.8% | 23.8% | 24.3% |
| Samoa | 34.2% | 17.4% | 20.4% | 23.5% | 24.0% |
 Marshall Islands | – | – | 13.8% | 13.8% | 23.5% |
 Gambia | – | – | 7.5% | 23.0% | 22.0% |
 Liberia | – | – | 14.7% | 13.1% | 21.3% |
| Lesotho | 167.4% | 53.8% | 27.3% | 21.9% | 19.9% |
| Guatemala | 1.6% | 3.1% | 10.4% | 14.7% | 19.1% |
 Kyrgyzstan | – | 0.2% | 26.4% | 31.8% | 17.6% |
 Haiti | – | 8.5% | 12.4% | 22.5% | 16.9% |
| Jamaica | 5.0% | 9.7% | 15.3% | 20.4% | 16.2% |
 Uzbekistan | – | – | 6.2% | 10.1% | 13.7% |
| Cape Verde | 19.3% | 16.6% | 7.2% | 12.9% | 12.3% |
 Georgia | – | 6.7% | 9.5% | 13.2% | 11.9% |
 Timor-Leste | – | – | 15.5% | 4.4% | 11.8% |
 Moldova | – | 13.8% | 25.1% | 16.3% | 10.5% |
 Bosnia & Herzegovina | – | 28.4% | 10.6% | 9.5% | 10.5% |
 Montenegro | – | – | 10.1% | 12.7% | 10.3% |
 Guinea-Bissau | 0.2% | 2.0% | 4.9% | 10.3% | 9.9% |
 Pakistan | 5.0% | 1.1% | 4.9% | 8.7% | 9.4% |
 Dominican Republic | 4.5% | 7.6% | 7.2% | 10.6% | 9.1% |
 Nigeria | 0.0% | 2.0% | 5.4% | 2.9% | 8.8% |
 Philippines | 2.9% | 8.3% | 10.3% | 9.6% | 8.7% |
 Zimbabwe | 0.0% | – | 11.7% | 5.7% | 8.5% |
 Albania | – | 16.7% | 13.1% | 9.6% | 8.4% |
 St. Vincent & Grenadines | 6.5% | 4.5% | 5.8% | 7.3% | 7.9% |
 Burundi | – | – | 1.7% | 4.6% | 7.8% |
 Morocco | 6.6% | 5.0% | 6.4% | 6.1% | 7.8% |
 Egypt | 10.0% | 2.9% | 5.7% | 7.7% | 7.6% |
 Jordan | 12.0% | 21.8% | 12.0% | 10.1% | 7.6% |
 Croatia | – | 3.7% | 3.9% | 7.2% | 7.2% |
 Fiji | 1.6% | 2.6% | 5.6% | 7.5% | 7.1% |
 Sri Lanka | 5.0% | 7.0% | 7.0% | 8.5% | 6.7% |
 Serbia | – | – | 9.5% | 6.9% | 6.4% |
 Tunisia | 4.5% | 3.7% | 4.5% | 5.4% | 6.3% |
| Ukraine | – | 1.3% | 4.6% | 9.7% | 6.3% |
 Bangladesh | 2.5% | 3.7% | 9.4% | 5.8% | 6.1% |
 Cambodia | – | 2.8% | 4.0% | 7.4% | 6.1% |
 Solomon Islands | – | 1.0% | 1.6% | 1.8% | 6.0% |
 Dominica | 6.9% | 4.1% | 8.9% | 6.4% | 5.7% |
 Armenia | – | 9.5% | 18.0% | 10.5% | 5.4% |
 Ecuador | 0.3% | 7.5% | 3.8% | 3.5% | 5.3% |
 Ethiopia | 0.0% | 0.6% | 1.5% | 0.4% | 4.8% |
 Sierra Leone | 0.0% | 1.1% | 1.0% | 2.6% | 4.6% |
| Kiribati | 14.1% | – | 9.5% | 6.8% | 4.3% |
 Kenya | 1.6% | 4.2% | 1.5% | 3.1% | 4.2% |
 Mali | 3.3% | 2.1% | 3.7% | 4.8% | 4.0% |
 Belize | 3.4% | 2.2% | 4.5% | 5.9% | 3.8% |
 Mexico | 1.2% | 1.0% | 2.1% | 3.9% | 3.7% |
 India | 0.7% | 2.8% | 3.2% | 3.1% | 3.7% |
 Ghana | 0.1% | 0.7% | 0.4% | 6.1% | 3.6% |
 Suriname | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 4.3% | 3.6% |
 Grenada | 6.5% | 4.7% | 4.7% | 6.8% | 3.6% |
 St. Kitts & Nevis | 8.9% | 5.8% | 2.3% | 3.6% | 3.5% |
 Rwanda | 0.1% | 0.3% | 1.8% | 2.7% | 3.4% |
 Niger | 0.4% | 0.6% | 1.7% | 3.8% | 3.3% |
 Bhutan | – | – | 0.5% | 3.4% | 3.3% |
 Venezuela | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 6.1% | 3.2% |
 Latvia | – | 3.2% | 5.4% | 3.3% | 3.0% |
 Colombia | 1.0% | 1.6% | 1.4% | 2.6% | 2.8% |
 North Macedonia | – | 2.1% | 4.1% | 3.8% | 2.7% |
 Luxembourg | – | 2.7% | 3.0% | 3.2% | 2.7% |
 Uganda | – | 3.8% | 2.9% | 2.8% | 2.7% |
 Democratic Republic of the Congo | – | – | 0.1% | 2.6% | 2.6% |
 Burkina Faso | 4.5% | 2.3% | 1.2% | 3.0% | 2.6% |
 Paraguay | 0.6% | 1.7% | 1.5% | 2.1% | 2.5% |
 Hungary | – | 0.8% | 1.4% | 2.5% | 2.5% |
 Romania | – | 0.3% | 0.4% | 3.0% | 2.5% |
 Guinea | 0.5% | 0.0% | 0.7% | 0.2% | 2.5% |
 Belarus | – | 0.9% | 1.0% | 1.7% | 2.4% |
 Bulgaria | – | 0.4% | 2.6% | 2.8% | 2.3% |
 St. Lucia | 2.8% | 2.6% | 2.1% | 3.7% | 2.3% |
 Bolivia | 0.1% | 1.5% | 4.9% | 2.7% | 2.3% |
 Madagascar | 0.2% | 0.2% | 4.6% | 3.8% | 2.3% |
| Belgium | 1.7% | 1.7% | 2.3% | 2.5% | 2.3% |
 Laos | 1.3% | 0.0% | 0.6% | 1.2% | 2.2% |
 Mongolia | – | 0.1% | 3.7% | 4.1% | 2.2% |
 Slovakia | – | 0.1% | 1.7% | 2.3% | 2.1% |
 Côte d’Ivoire | 0.4% | 0.7% | 1.1% | 0.5% | 2.0% |
 Malawi | – | 0.0% | 0.2% | 2.0% | 2.0% |
 Mauritius | – | 3.7% | 0.0% | 2.5% | 1.9% |
 Azerbaijan | – | 1.1% | 2.7% | 3.3% | 1.8% |
 Malaysia | 0.4% | 0.4% | 0.4% | 0.4% | 1.8% |
 Cyprus | 1.4% | 0.5% | 3.3% | 2.2% | 1.8% |
 Thailand | 1.1% | 1.3% | 1.3% | 1.6% | 1.8% |
 São Tomé & Príncipe | 0.3% | 0.6% | 3.3% | 1.8% | 1.7% |
 Peru | 0.3% | 1.4% | 1.7% | 1.4% | 1.7% |
 Tanzania | – | 0.1% | 1.1% | 0.5% | 1.4% |
 Djibouti | – | 2.2% | 2.9% | 2.0% | 1.3% |
 Nauru | – | – | 0.4% | 2.0% | 1.3% |
 Zambia | – | – | 0.2% | 0.7% | 1.3% |
 Czechia | – | 0.5% | 0.6% | 1.7% | 1.3% |
 Cameroon | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.4% | 0.8% | 1.3% |
 Andorra | – | – | – | 1.6% | 1.3% |
 France | 0.3% | 0.7% | 0.8% | 1.1% | 1.3% |
 Slovenia | – | 1.0% | 0.3% | 1.4% | 1.2% |
 Lithuania | – | 0.4% | 4.6% | 1.4% | 1.2% |
 Antigua & Barbuda | 2.6% | 1.9% | 2.2% | 2.6% | 1.2% |
 Mozambique | – | 0.6% | 1.0% | 1.1% | 1.2% |
 Estonia | – | 0.1% | 1.8% | 1.6% | 1.2% |
 Indonesia | 0.2% | 0.7% | 0.9% | 0.9% | 1.1% |
 Poland | – | 0.9% | 1.6% | 1.2% | 0.9% |
 Mauritania | 0.9% | – | – | 2.0% | 0.9% |
 Trinidad & Tobago | 0.1% | 0.5% | 0.4% | 0.9% | 0.8% |
 Sweden | 0.1% | 0.2% | 0.8% | 0.6% | 0.8% |
 Costa Rica | 0.2% | 0.9% | 1.4% | 0.8% | 0.7% |
 Portugal | 5.7% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.4% | 0.7% |
 Iceland | 0.9% | 0.4% | 1.0% | 0.8% | 0.7% |
 Namibia | 0.5% | 0.2% | 0.6% | 0.6% | 0.7% |
| Eswatini | 10.1% | 3.3% | 1.3% | 2.7% | 0.7% |
 Qatar | – | – | – | 0.5% | 0.7% |
 Algeria | 0.6% | 1.4% | 0.1% | 1.0% | 0.7% |
| Botswana | 2.3% | 0.3% | 0.2% | 0.3% | 0.7% |
 Austria | 0.4% | 0.9% | 0.8% | 0.7% | 0.7% |
 Panama | 1.7% | 0.1% | 1.4% | 0.7% | 0.6% |
 Seychelles | 1.9% | 0.5% | 1.8% | 0.7% | 0.5% |
 Italy | 0.4% | 0.2% | 0.4% | 0.5% | 0.5% |
 Germany | 0.3% | 0.2% | 0.4% | 0.5% | 0.5% |
 Bahamas | – | – | – | 0.5% | 0.4% |
 South Korea | 0.8% | 0.8% | 0.5% | 0.4% | 0.4% |
 Netherlands | 0.2% | 0.1% | 0.3% | 0.4% | 0.4% |
 Denmark | – | 0.4% | 0.3% | 0.4% | 0.4% |
 Switzerland | 0.3% | 0.4% | 0.5% | 0.4% | 0.4% |
 Spain | 0.4% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.2% | 0.4% |
 Finland | 0.0% | 0.4% | 0.4% | 0.2% | 0.3% |
 Iraq | – | – | 0.1% | 0.4% | 0.2% |
 Brazil | 0.1% | 0.2% | 0.1% | 0.2% | 0.2% |
 Greece | 1.9% | 1.7% | 0.5% | 0.3% | 0.2% |
 South Africa | 0.1% | 0.2% | 0.3% | 0.2% | 0.2% |
 Norway | 0.1% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% |
 Israel | 1.3% | 0.1% | 0.2% | 0.3% | 0.2% |
 Uruguay | – | – | 0.3% | 0.2% | 0.2% |
 Argentina | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% |
 China | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.2% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
 United Kingdom | 0.2% | 0.3% | 0.2% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| Japan | – | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
 Ireland | 0.6% | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
 Australia | 0.8% | 0.1% | 0.2% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
 Russia | – | 0.2% | 0.3% | 0.7% | 0.1% |
 Kazakhstan | – | 0.4% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.1% |
 Maldives | 0.8% | 0.4% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
 Türkiye | 2.2% | 1.7% | 0.2% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
 Malta | 2.3% | 0.4% | 2.5% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
 Angola | – | – | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
 Sudan | 0.2% | 5.2% | 2.5% | 1.8% | 0.0% |
 Canada | – | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
 Oman | 0.3% | 0.2% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.0% |
 United States | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
 Chile | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
 Saudi Arabia | – | – | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
 Kuwait | – | – | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Papua New Guinea | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
 Afghanistan | – | – | 2.4% | 4.0% | – |
 Barbados | 1.9% | 3.7% | 1.5% | – | – |
 Benin | 5.2% | 2.4% | 1.5% | 1.3% | – |
 Central African Republic | 0.0% | – | – | – | – |
 Republic of the Congo | 0.2% | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.1% | – |
 Eritrea | – | 0.5% | – | – | – |
 Micronesia | – | – | 6.2% | – | – |
 Gabon | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.3% | – | – |
 Equatorial Guinea | – | – | – | – | – |
 Guyana | – | 3.8% | 10.7% | 8.1% | – |
 Iran | – | 0.5% | – | – | – |
 Comoros | 2.5% | – | 9.6% | 18.5% | – |
 Lebanon | – | – | 18.0% | 20.8% | – |
 Libya | – | 0.0% | – | – | – |
 Myanmar | 0.3% | 1.1% | 0.2% | – | – |
 New Zealand | 1.7% | 0.4% | 0.3% | 0.2% | – |
 Palau | – | – | 0.9% | 0.9% | – |
 San Marino | – | – | – | 1.1% | – |
 Senegal | 1.9% | 3.9% | 9.2% | 10.6% | – |
 South Sudan | – | – | – | – | – |
 Syria | 3.1% | 1.0% | 2.6% | – | – |
 Chad | – | – | – | – | – |
 Togo | 1.2% | 1.6% | 7.1% | 8.7% | – |
 Turkmenistan | – | – | – | – | – |
 Tuvalu | – | – | 12.1% | 4.2% | – |
 Vietnam | – | 4.3% | – | – | – |
 Vanuatu | 4.9% | 5.0% | 1.8% | 12.5% | – |
 Yemen | 11.8% | 13.3% | 4.9% | – | – |
| Countries with data | 109 | 147 | 170 | 169 | 156 |
Notes on reading this history
Yearly values come from the same World Bank indicator. The number of countries with data differs by year, so each year’s ranks are given only among the countries that have data that year. The ranking page uses each country’s latest year, so it may not match a single year’s ranking here.
Older years have fewer countries with data. See the “Countries with data” row in the table.
Source: Personal remittances, received (% of GDP), indicator BX.TRF.PWKR.DT.GD.ZS. Processed by this site. data.worldbank.org
World Bank data last updated: 2026-10-08
More indicators over time
- Latest ranking: Money sent home by workers abroad (share of GDP)
- GDP (total)
- GDP per capita
- Infant mortality rate
- Internet users (share of people)
- Access to electricity (share of people)
- CO₂ emissions per person
- CO₂ emissions (total)
- Urban population (share of people)
- Goods exports (total)
- Air passengers carried
- Women in the labor force (share of women)
- Women in parliament (share of seats)
- Measles vaccination (share of children)
- Renewable electricity (share of power)
- Air pollution (PM2.5)
- Health spending (share of GDP)
- Rice production
- Wheat production
- Maize (corn) production
- Potatoes production
- Tomatoes production
- Bananas production
- Cow’s milk production
- Hen eggs production
- Chicken meat production
- Beef (cattle meat) production
- Pork (pig meat) production
- Soybeans production
- Coffee production
- Cocoa beans production
- Sugar cane production
- Cassava production
- Oranges production
- Apples production
- Onions production
- Cattle number of animals
- Pigs number of animals
- Sheep number of animals
- Chickens number of animals
- Barley production
- Sorghum production
- Millet production
- Sweet potatoes production
- Groundnuts (peanuts) production
- Rapeseed (canola) production
- Sunflower seeds production
- Dry beans production
- Palm oil production
- Grapes production
- Mangoes (with guavas and mangosteens) production
- Pineapples production
- Watermelons production
- Lemons (with limes) production
- Cabbages production
- Cucumbers (with gherkins) production
- Tea production
- Sugar beet production
- Cotton (fibre) production
- Honey production
- Sheep meat (mutton and lamb) production
- Goat meat production
- Goats number of animals
- Horses number of animals
- Cereal production
- Cereal yield (per hectare of farmland)
- Fish and seafood production (catch + farmed)
- Fish catch (from sea, rivers and lakes)
- Aquaculture (farmed fish and seafood)
- Energy use per person
- Electricity consumption per person
- Greenhouse gas emissions (total)
- Safe drinking water (share of people)
- Safe sanitation (share of people)
- Clean cooking fuels (share of people)
- Labor force (number of people)
- Employment in agriculture (share of jobs)
- Manufacturing (share of GDP)
- Reserves of foreign currency and gold
- Tuberculosis cases (per 100,000 people)
- Health spending per person