Personal remittances, received in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income): Personal remittances, received was 3.2% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Personal remittances, received in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income), 1977–2024
Source: Staff estimates, World Bank (WB). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
The most recent figure for personal remittances, received in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) is 3.2%, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 48 years on record.
The figure is up 24.9% on the previous year and up 49.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, personal remittances, received in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) peaked at 3.2% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 0.4%, in 1981.
That places Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) 15th out of 47 groups with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Personal remittances, received in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income), year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1977 | 0.5% | — |
| 1978 | 0.5% | -0.7% |
| 1979 | 0.5% | +8.8% |
| 1980 | 0.6% | +11.2% |
| 1981 | 0.4% | -23.6% |
| 1982 | 0.5% | +21.9% |
| 1983 | 0.7% | +27.9% |
| 1984 | 0.7% | +2.6% |
| 1985 | 0.7% | -1.4% |
| 1986 | 0.7% | -1.9% |
| 1987 | 0.8% | +14.6% |
| 1988 | 0.8% | -0.3% |
| 1989 | 0.8% | +11.2% |
| 1990 | 0.7% | -17.4% |
| 1991 | 0.7% | -5.1% |
| 1992 | 0.8% | +25.1% |
| 1993 | 1.0% | +16.0% |
| 1994 | 0.9% | -5.9% |
| 1995 | 0.7% | -23.6% |
| 1996 | 0.6% | -18.6% |
| 1997 | 0.7% | +25.3% |
| 1998 | 0.7% | +0.5% |
| 1999 | 1.3% | +83.1% |
| 2000 | 1.3% | -1.1% |
| 2001 | 1.1% | -13.4% |
| 2002 | 1.2% | +5.3% |
| 2003 | 1.1% | -7.8% |
| 2004 | 1.2% | +14.1% |
| 2005 | 2.7% | +117.7% |
| 2006 | 2.7% | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 2.5% | -5.3% |
| 2008 | 2.3% | -8.9% |
| 2009 | 2.4% | +3.6% |
| 2010 | 2.2% | -6.5% |
| 2011 | 2.3% | +4.4% |
| 2012 | 2.3% | -3.5% |
| 2013 | 2.1% | -4.9% |
| 2014 | 2.2% | +0.1% |
| 2015 | 2.6% | +19.4% |
| 2016 | 2.5% | -0.8% |
| 2017 | 2.6% | +1.8% |
| 2018 | 2.7% | +4.6% |
| 2019 | 2.4% | -11.5% |
| 2020 | 2.2% | -7.0% |
| 2021 | 2.2% | -1.9% |
| 2022 | 2.3% | +5.4% |
| 2023 | 2.6% | +11.7% |
| 2024 | 3.2% | +24.9% |
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Personal remittances, received in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | +117.7% | 1.2% | 2.7% |
| 1999 | +83.1% | 0.7% | 1.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0.5% | 0.5% | 0.5% | 3 |
| 1980s | 0.7% | 0.4% | 0.8% | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.8% | 0.6% | 1.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.9% | 1.1% | 2.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.4% | 2.1% | 2.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.5% | 2.2% | 3.2% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
More economy & growth data for Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (constant 2015) 4.36 % change on previous year (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (constant 2015 US$) 0.147 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (constant 2015 US$) 245.62 constant 2015 US$ per person (2025)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (current US$) 7.79 % change on previous year (2025)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (current US$) 0.8257 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (current US$) 1,380 current US$ per person (2025)
- Final consumption expenditure (current US$), annual growth rate 8.1 % change on previous year (2025)
- Final consumption expenditure (current US$), per capita 1,655 current US$ per person (2025)
- Final consumption expenditure (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.9901 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (constant 2015 US$) 3.8 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is personal remittances, received in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- Personal remittances, received in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) was 3.2% in 2024, according to Staff estimates, World Bank (WB).
- What is the highest personal remittances, received recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- The highest recorded value was 3.2% in 2024.
- What is the lowest personal remittances, received recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.4% in 1981.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) rank for personal remittances, received?
- Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) ranks 15th out of 47 groups with data for 2024.
- Is personal remittances, received rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 49.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) data come from?
- The figures come from Staff estimates, World Bank (WB), published as part of Personal remittances, received (% of GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 48 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Personal remittances comprise personal transfers and compensation of employees. Personal transfers consist of all current transfers in cash or in kind made or received by resident households to or from nonresident households. Personal transfers thus include all current transfers between resident and nonresident individuals. Compensation of employees refers to the income of border, seasonal, and other short-term workers who are employed in an economy where they are not resident and of residents employed by nonresident entities. Data are the sum of two items defined in the sixth edition of the IMF's Balance of Payments Manual: personal transfers and compensation of employees.