Global Remittance Trends

In 2024, India emerged as the top remittance recipient globally, garnering more than $137 billion. It was the only country to surpass the $100 billion mark, followed by Mexico, the Philippines, and France.

• India has maintained its lead in remittances since 2010, with a notable increase from $53.48 billion in 2010 to $137.67 billion in 2024.
• South Asia experienced the highest remittance growth at 11.8%, spurred by inflows to India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.

Remittance Sources

• The United States is the largest remittance-sending country, with outflows exceeding $100 billion in 2024.
• Other major remittance-sending countries include Saudi Arabia ($46 billion), Switzerland ($40 billion), and Germany ($24 billion).

International Students

Countries in Asia represent the largest share of mobile students, with China and India leading in numbers in 2022.

• Over 1 million international students originated from China, with India contributing over 620,000 students.
• Countries such as Uzbekistan, Vietnam, and Germany followed with decreasing numbers.

Migration and Development

The report highlights the importance of turning "brain drain" into "brain gain" through strategic policies.

• India uses diaspora conventions and innovation hubs to attract skilled workers back.
• China has the Thousand Talents Plan to bring back overseas academics.

Internal Displacements

In 2024, the largest internal displacements in Asia were due to natural disasters, with the Philippines and India being the most affected.

• The Philippines saw nearly 9 million disaster displacements, mainly from typhoons.
• India experienced over 5 million displacements due to floods and storms.

Migration Corridors and Refugees

Australia stands out in migration corridors and as a host for refugees and asylum-seekers.

• The largest migration corridor was from the United Kingdom to Australia, with over 1 million migrants.
• Australia housed nearly 30,000 refugees and over 91,000 asylum-seekers, mostly from Asia.