EU migrants’ remittances up by 3% to €31 billion in 2010

Cash remittances sent by migrants working in the EU back to their countries of origin has kept an upward trend since its interruption in 2009 by the economic crisis.

But 2010 brought a partial recovery, although figures remain below 2007 levels. Total EU27 outflows amounted to €31.2 billion in 2010, compared with €30.4bn in 2009 ( 3%).

These figures include both intra-EU27 and extra-EU27 flows. The increase in workers' remittances in 2010 compared with 2009 was higher for intra-EU27 flows ( 6%) than for extra-EU27 flows ( 1%). The share of extra-EU27 remittances in the total stood at 72% in 2010, the same level as in 2009.

The outflow of workers' remittances was highest in 2010 in Spain (€7.2bn or 23% of total EU27 remittances), Italy (€6.6bn or 21%), Germany (€3bn or 10%), France (€2.9bn or 9%), the Netherlands (€1.5bn or 5%) and Greece (€1.1bn or 3%).

Among these Member States, the share of extra-EU27 remittances in the total ranged between 67% in Germany and 91% in Greece. In 2010, the majority of Member States recorded similar levels of outflows of workers' remittances to 2009.