The value of remittances to South Korea was nearly the same as the value that left the country, according to a ranking that maps the flow of such money transfers. Remittances refer to cross-border payments to family or friends and are often associated with migrant workers sending money back home to friends or relatives back in their communities of origin. It is estimated that about one in seven people worldwide are involved with remittances - substantially impacting payment behavior in, especially, Asia and Latin America. For South Korea, the top five recipient countries for remittances in 2021 included China, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Mongolia. South Korea's main sources for remittances were the United States, Japan, China, Canada, and Australia.
Value of remittances sent from/to South Korea to/from other countries or territories worldwide in 2021
(in million U.S. dollars)
Destination territory/territory of origin
Remittances sent from South Korea
Remittances received in South Korea
Net balance in India (remittances received minus remittances sent)
Remittance figures have a publication delay. Numbers cover 2021, but were reported in late 2022. As of November 2024, it is unclear when numbers will update - as the KNOMAD program also has been discontinued; All numbers are in current (nominal) U.S. dollars; See the "Details" tab for more information on the source methodology.
Supplementary notes
The source adds the following information:
No numbers are available for Venezuela;
Due to political and economic situations, the flows between certain countries was considered to be 0 (zero). These countries included: India and Pakistan (and vice versa), Lebanon and Israel (and vice versa), and Azerbaijan and Armenia (and vice versa);
The source emphasizes several times that the numbers provided are estimates, as the data suffers from several issues. These relate to, for example, the frequency of migrant data updating per country, the lack of data on informal money transfers or the possibility of retirees moving abroad but then withdrawing savings from their country of origin.
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Statista. (December 17, 2022). Value of remittances sent from/to South Korea to/from other countries or territories worldwide in 2021 (in million U.S. dollars) [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved December 22, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/934020/incoming-remittance-south-korea-by-country-of-origin/
Statista. "Value of remittances sent from/to South Korea to/from other countries or territories worldwide in 2021 (in million U.S. dollars)." Chart. December 17, 2022. Statista. Accessed December 22, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/934020/incoming-remittance-south-korea-by-country-of-origin/
Statista. (2022). Value of remittances sent from/to South Korea to/from other countries or territories worldwide in 2021 (in million U.S. dollars). Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: December 22, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/934020/incoming-remittance-south-korea-by-country-of-origin/
Statista. "Value of Remittances Sent From/to South Korea To/from Other Countries or Territories Worldwide in 2021 (in Million U.S. Dollars)." Statista, Statista Inc., 17 Dec 2022, https://www.statista.com/statistics/934020/incoming-remittance-south-korea-by-country-of-origin/
Statista, Value of remittances sent from/to South Korea to/from other countries or territories worldwide in 2021 (in million U.S. dollars) Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/934020/incoming-remittance-south-korea-by-country-of-origin/ (last visited December 22, 2024)
Value of remittances sent from/to South Korea to/from other countries or territories worldwide in 2021 (in million U.S. dollars) [Graph], Statista, December 17, 2022. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/934020/incoming-remittance-south-korea-by-country-of-origin/
