India top recipient of remittances at US$ 79 billion in 2018 says World Bank
As per the World Bank's latest Migration and Development Brief, the officially recorded annual remittance flows to low- and middle-income countries reached $529 billion in 2018, an increase of 9.6% over the previous record high of $483 billion in 2017. Global remittances, which include flows to high-income countries, reached $689 billion in 2018, up from $633 billion in 2017.Regionally, growth in remittance inflows ranged from almost 7% in East Asia and the Pacific to 12% in South Asia. The overall increase was driven by a stronger economy and employment situation in the United States and a rebound in outward flows from some Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and the Russian Federation. Excluding China, remittances to low- and middle-income countries ($462 billion) were significantly larger than foreign direct investment flows in 2018 ($344 billion).
Among countries, the top remittance recipients were India with $79 billion, followed by China ($67 billion), Mexico ($36 billion), the Philippines ($34 billion), and Egypt ($29 billion).
In 2019, remittance flows to low- and middle-income countries are expected to reach $550 billion, to become their largest source of external financing.
The global average cost of sending $200 remained high, at around 7% in the first quarter of 2019, according to the World Bank's Remittance Prices Worldwide database. Reducing remittance costs to 3% by 2030 is a global target under Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 10.7. Remittance costs across many African corridors and small islands in the Pacific remain above 10%.
Banks were the most expensive remittance channels, charging an average fee of 11% in the first quarter of 2019. Post offices were the next most expensive, at over 7%. Remittance fees tend to include a premium where national post offices have an exclusive partnership with a money transfer operator. This premium was on average 1.5% worldwide and as high as 4% in some countries in the last quarter of 2018.
On ways to lower remittance costs, Dilip Ratha, lead author of the Brief and head of KNOMAD, said, "Remittances are on track to become the largest source of external financing in developing countries. The high costs of money transfers reduce the benefits of migration. Renegotiating exclusive partnerships and letting new players operate through national post offices, banks, and telecommunications companies will increase competition and lower remittance prices."
The Brief notes that banks ongoing de-risking practices, which have involved the closure of the bank accounts of some remittance service providers, are driving up remittance costs.
The Brief also reports progress toward the SDG target of reducing the recruitment costs paid by migrant workers, which tend to be high, especially for lower-skilled migrants.
"Millions of low-skilled migrant workers are vulnerable to recruitment malpractices, including exorbitant recruitment costs. We need to boost efforts to create jobs in developing countries and to monitor and reduce recruitment costs paid by these workers," said Michal Rutkowski, Senior Director of the Social Protection and Jobs Global Practice at the World Bank. The World Bank and the International Labour Organization are collaborating to develop indicators for worker-paid recruitment costs, to support the SDG of promoting safe, orderly, and regular migration.
Regional Remittance Trends
Remittances to the East Asia and Pacific region grew almost 7% to $143 billion in 2018, faster than the 5% growth in 2017. Remittances to the Philippines rose to $34 billion, but growth in remittances was slower due to a drop in private transfers from the GCC countries. Flows to Indonesia increased by 25% in 2018, after a muted performance in 2017.
After posting 22% growth in 2017, remittances to Europe and Central Asia grew an estimated 11% to $59 billion in 2018. Continued growth in economic activity increased outbound remittances from Poland, Russia, Spain, and the United States, major sources of remittances to the region. Smaller remittance-dependent countries in the region, such as the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, benefited from the sustained rebound of economic activity in Russia. Ukraine, the region's largest remittance recipient, received a new record of more than $14 billion in 2018, up about 19% over 2017. This surge in Ukraine also reflects a revised methodology for estimating incoming remittances, as well as growth in neighboring countries demand for migrant workers.
Remittances flows into Latin America and the Caribbean grew 10% to $88 billion in 2018, supported by the strong U.S. economy. Mexico continued to receive the most remittances in the region, posting about $36 billion in 2018, up 11% over the previous year. Colombia and Ecuador, which have migrants in Spain, posted 16% and 8% growth, respectively. Three other countries in the region posted double-digit growth: Guatemala (13%) as well as Dominican Republic and Honduras (both 10%), reflecting robust outbound remittances from the United States.
Remittances to the Middle East and North Africa grew 9% to $62 billion in 2018. The growth was driven by Egypt's rapid remittance growth of around 17%. Beyond 2018, the growth of remittances to the region is expected to continue, albeit at a slower pace of around 3% in 2019 due to moderating growth in the Euro Area.
Remittances to South Asia grew 12% to $131 billion in 2018, outpacing the 6% growth in 2017. The upsurge was driven by stronger economic conditions in the United States and a pick-up in oil prices, which had a positive impact on outward remittances from some GCC countries. Remittances grew by more than 14% in India, where a flooding disaster in Kerala likely boosted the financial help that migrants sent to families. In Pakistan, remittance growth was moderate (7%), due to significant declines in inflows from Saudi Arabia, its largest remittance source. In Bangladesh, remittances showed a brisk uptick in 2018 (15%).
Remittances to Sub-Saharan Africa grew almost 10% to $46 billion in 2018, supported by strong economic conditions in high-income economies. Looking at remittances as a share of gross domestic product, Comoros has the largest share, followed by the Gambia, Lesotho, Senegal, Cabo Verde, Liberia, Senegal, Zimbabwe, Togo, Ghana, and Nigeria.
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