Canada: Personal remittances, received (current US$)

Key figures

Over five years it is up 1.48% from US$821.83 million in 2020 (0.29% a year on average, compounded). Since 1995 it is up 71.45% from US$486.45 million in 1995 (1.81% a year on average, compounded).

What the numbers say

In 2025, Canada's personal remittances, received (current US$) fell 2% on 2024 (from US$851.44 million to US$834.01 million).

Across the 29 yearly changes before that (1996 to 2024), the average change was +2.7% and a typical year strayed about 12.4% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.4 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 32.6% in 1999 and the biggest yearly fall was 37.3% in 2020. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2016 to 2025 the straight-line trend is downward, about US$64.19 million a year. A straight line explains 70% of the movement over 10 observed years.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2025, Canada had the 85th highest value of the 131 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to Canada in the 2025 ranking

• Finland — 81st of 131: US$876.42 million
• Costa Rica — 82nd of 131: US$845.52 million
• Cyprus — 83rd of 131: US$844.02 million
• Türkiye — 85th of 131: US$761 million
• Iraq — 86th of 131: US$757 million
• Ireland — 87th of 131: US$726.05 million

What this measures

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. Data are in current U.S. dollars.

Limitations: Remittance transactions have grown in importance over the past decade. In a number of developing economies, receipts of remittances have become an important and stable source of funds that exceeds receipts from exports of goods and services or from financial inflows on foreign direct investment. But the quality of statistical remittance data is not high. Remittances are a challenge to measure because of their nature. They are heterogeneous with numerous small transactions conducted by individuals through a wide variety of channels: formal channels, such as electronic wire, or through informal channels, such as cash or goods carried across borders.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a sum.

All 31 values

Personal remittances, received (current US$) in nearby economies

• Bermuda — US$2.35 billion (2025)
• United States — US$9.35 billion (2025)

More economic policy & debt data for Canada

• Trade in services (% of GDP) — 14.75% (2025)
• Communications, computer, etc. (% of service imports, BoP) — 48.08% (2025)
• Primary income payments (BoP, current US$) — US$196.83 billion (2025)
• Imports of goods and services (current US$, BoP) — US$747.73 billion (2025)
• Goods imports (current US$, BoP) — US$577.62 billion (2025)
• Service imports (current US$, BoP) — US$170.11 billion (2025)
• Imports of goods, services and primary income (current US$, BoP) — US$944.56 billion (2025)
• Transport services (% of service imports, BoP) — 16.84% (2025)
• Travel services (% of service imports, BoP) — 25.55% (2025)
• Current account balance (current US$, BoP) — −US$22.29 billion (2025)
• Current account balance (% of GDP) — -0.96% (2025)
• Net financial account (BoP, current US$) — −US$15.25 billion (2025)
• Net primary income (current US$, BoP) — US$3.45 billion (2025)
• Net trade in goods and services (current US$, BoP) — −US$21.1 billion (2025)
• Net trade in goods (current US$, BoP) — −US$23.04 billion (2025)

Every indicator for Canada is on the Canada data page.

Reading data like this

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• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is Canada's personal remittances, received (current US$)?

US$834.01 million in 2025, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1995?

It is up 71.45% from US$486.45 million in 1995 (1.81% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was US$1.35 billion in 2014 and the lowest US$486.45 million in 1995.

How does Canada rank?

85th highest of 131 economies with data for 2025.

Is the latest change in personal remittances, received (current US$) unusual for Canada?

In 2025, Canada's personal remittances, received (current US$) fell 2% on 2024 (from US$851.44 million to US$834.01 million). Across the 29 yearly changes before that (1996 to 2024), the average change was +2.7% and a typical year strayed about 12.4% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.4 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Where does this data come from?

The World Bank's World Development Indicators, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: IMF balance of payments data, International Monetary Fund (IMF); Staff estimates, World Bank (WB).

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator BX.TRF.PWKR.CD.DT, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: IMF balance of payments data, International Monetary Fund (IMF); Staff estimates, World Bank (WB) Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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