FFR – FFRemittances

RemitSCOPE.org is here, bringing remittance and remittance-related data to your fingertips in a way that’s informative, easy to access, and free to use.

Launched by the United Nations’ International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), RemitSCOPE gathers and organizes the latest information on remittance flows, costs, market conditions, access, and structure with a special focus on the regions and countries that benefit most from remittances—particularly rural communities in low- and middle-income countries.

For anyone interested in the world of remittances—whether you’re a remittance service provider, regulator, policy maker, or simply exploring the field—RemitSCOPE is a powerful, interactive tool that opens up a deeper understanding of global remittance markets and new market opportunities.

Why remittances matter

In 2023, officially recorded remittance flows to low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) were an estimated $656 billion. These funds, sent by migrants to support their families back home, are essential to many economies, especially in rural areas where they often matter most. Remittances have surpassed foreign direct investment (FDI) and official development assistance (ODA), making them the largest source of external financing to LMICs. This funding helps families meet basic needs, invest in education, healthcare, and businesses, and build financial resilience.

Despite their significance, critical gaps in remittance market data persist, making it challenging to identify bottlenecks, track trends, or address issues with access and cost. RemitSCOPE fills this gap with a central repository of reliable, current remittance information from multiple sources, from public agencies to primary research. It provides comprehensive remittance data that fosters competition and supports initiatives aimed at reducing transaction costs, promoting digitalization, and improving access to formal and digital remittance services.

Key features of RemitSCOPE

RemitSCOPE is designed to simplify the remittance landscape and offer data-driven insights to a broad audience. Here’s a closer look at some of the features that make this platform unique:

Comprehensive Country Profiles RemitSCOPE provides individual remittance profiles for over 70 countries across Africa and Latin America, with plans to expand further. Each profile includes detailed data, such as the total remittance volume received, the main sending countries, access metrics, and an overview of the remittance market’s structure. This resource helps users understand how remittances support various economies and households, making it a valuable tool for exploring a specific country’s remittance landscape.

Country Diagnostics on African and LAC Markets RemitSCOPE is also home to specialized Country Diagnostics on seven African markets and five countries in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). These diagnostics offer in-depth analysis on remittance markets within these countries and provide specific recommendations for improving market functionality. This level of targeted insight is ideal for identifying actionable strategies that can directly enhance the impact and efficiency of remittance flows in key markets.

Interactive Dashboards and Thematic Insights RemitSCOPE’s interactive dashboards allow users to explore remittance data across multiple themes, from migration trends to financial inclusion, remittance costs, and market structure. The data is easy to filter and customize, allowing users to focus on the information that matters most to them. Carefully curated indexes deliver essential market intelligence across different countries.

Data on Costs and Accessibility RemitSCOPE provides detailed data on the costs of sending remittances, which is often a significant challenge in remittance markets. High transaction fees and unfavorable currency exchange rates reduce the funds received by families. By shedding light on cost disparities by country and corridor (from one country to another), RemitSCOPE supports policymakers and service providers in identifying cost bottlenecks and fostering more affordable options.

Focus on Digitalization and Financial Inclusion RemitSCOPE highlights trends in the digitalization of remittance services, showcasing data on mobile wallets, digital money transfers, and other fintech solutions that allow families to receive funds remotely. These digital options are becoming increasingly popular as cost-effective, safe alternatives, especially in rural areas with limited access to physical financial services. RemitSCOPE tracks the growth of digital remittances, helping users appreciate the benefits of these options.

Insights for Market Transparency For those interested in understanding market dynamics, RemitSCOPE offers valuable insights into the structure and regulatory environment of remittance markets. By outlining factors such as service providers, competition levels, and regulatory frameworks, RemitSCOPE provides users with a complete picture of how remittance markets operate. This transparency supports greater accountability and drives improvements in cost, accessibility, and service quality across the sector.

How RemitSCOPE can benefit you

RemitSCOPE is a versatile tool for anyone curious about remittances—whether you’re sending money, receiving it, or interested in understanding the global economy. Here are a few ways it can support you:

Remittance Service Providers: Gain insights that help identify market opportunities, enhance competition, and improve products. Providers can use country-specific remittance flows and barriers to tailor services to underserved populations, particularly in rural areas.

Policymakers: Access data that supports effective policy formulation. Detailed remittance and migration insights enable governments to better address financial inclusion, promote formal remittance channels, and ensure regulations encourage innovation and competition.

Donors and Development Agencies: Identify regions where remittances impact poverty alleviation and development. RemitSCOPE’s data helps align investments with high-need areas, especially in rural LMIC regions.

Regulators: Use RemitSCOPE’s insights on pricing, competition, and operating environments to develop policies that lower remittance costs, enhance transparency, and improve formal financial service access.

Get Started with RemitSCOPE Today

Exploring RemitSCOPE is easy. Start with a country profile, explore interactive dashboards, or dive into cost data to see how remittances are evolving worldwide. Each feature on RemitSCOPE is designed to make remittance information accessible and actionable, putting you in control of this vital financial resource.

Whether you’re a first-time visitor or a regular user, RemitSCOPE.org continuously updates with new data, visualizations, market insights, and expanded country profiles.

As IFAD continues supporting economic resilience in rural areas, RemitSCOPE is a crucial step toward a future where remittances are more accessible, affordable, and impactful for the communities relying on them most. Visit the www.RemitSCOPE.org  and watch the Video to explore the latest remittance data and discover how this platform can serve you.

The RemitSCOPE web tool gathers and organizes the latest info on remittance flows, costs, and market conditions, with a focus on countries and regions that benefit most from remittances—especially rural communities in low- and middle-income countries. Designed for service providers, policymakers, and regulators, RemitSCOPE offers interactive dashboards, country profiles, cost data, and insights on financial inclusion. Whether you’re exploring remittances for the first time or looking for market opportunities, RemitSCOPE delivers accessible, data-driven perspectives on global remittance markets.

Beyond remittances, diaspora investment is helping to address Africa’s financing gap while empowering local communities. Since 2022, with the support of the European Union, IFAD and I & P have partnered with the Malian diaspora to create Ciwara Capital—an investment fund owned and managed by Africans in Europe.

Watch video

The world is getting hotter, rainy seasons less predictable, storms more intense and in many places there is either too much water, or not enough– always in the wrong place and the wrong time! Global climate change is experienced locally by people across very different places and circumstances. For the rural poor in Africa, Asia and the Pacific and Latin America and the Caribbean this threat poses an ongoing humanitarian crisis. Extreme drought, floods, heatwaves, storms, and other climate hazards worsen poverty, threaten food and water security, health, livelihoods and settlements.

Consider the smallholder farmer in Mali, Guatemala or the Philippines who looks skywards and observes that “the rainy season never starts or stops when it used to, sometimes it begins slowly and then at the end, we get floods…in other seasons we begin with heavy rains and end in drought.” For smallholders who rely on crops to feed their families and livestock, shifting precipitation patterns can be life threatening. Fishers, herders and forest enterprises are also negatively impacted by a changing climate that contributes to land degradation, desertification, deforestation and shifts in the ranges of animal and plant species.

Farmers in Mali

Smallholder farmers and other rural livelihoods struggle to adapt to this growing set of risks in the face of declining economic opportunities and life chances. But most lack the know-how, tools, and finance needed to better protect themselves from climate change. Consequently, migration becomes a rational choice, particularly for rural youth. Migration is in many ways an investment decision for rural families, and the financial returns from migration can help in creating the economic opportunities that make such decisions less necessary in the future.

The main financial returns from migration are remittances – the money that migrants send to loved ones back home and they represent a vital financial lifeline for millions. In 2023, remittances to low- and medium-income countries were an estimated US$656 billion, resources that helped families with household expenses, including education and health and productive activities. In fact, remittances to these countries are more than three times Official Development Assistance (ODA) and for most developing countries these flows are more than the total of ODA and foreign direct investment (FDI).

Diaspora investment is another financial outcome generated by years of migration. These investors are migrants who settle in host countries and invest in productive activities in their countries of origin. These successful migrants invest across many sectors, including agriculture and land, and directly in enterprises. Many support entrepreneurial start-ups and bring a wealth of financial and business experience to local economies back home.

A good example of one such diaspora investor is an IFAD partner, Ciwara Capital, a venture capital fund owned by the Malian diaspora. Ciwara Capital recently invested in SOPROTRILAD, a Malian rice company with 400 employees that supports over 3000 small rice producers. Ciwara investment has enabled the implementation of the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, water and fertilizer use and to increase crop yields.

Co-founders of Ciwara Capital

Is there scope for a programme to facilitate the use of migrant resources, both remittances and diaspora investment, for building climate resilience, generating local economic opportunities and eventually reducing the incentives to migrate?

For instance, evidence indicates that remittances help families better cope with climate change in agriculture and related rural activities. Remittances enable the purchases of resilient products and tools, such as new seeds, crops, water conservation tolls and a host of climate smart practices. IFAD pilot projects show that rural recipients will invest a portion of their remittances in climate resilience when given the right tools and incentives, thereby increasing agricultural productivity and the ability to withstand climate shocks. Scaling these models could empower more rural families to use their funds for resilience in sustainable ways.

These actions could include better financial options and know-how for families, such as low-cost microloans for resilient farming, climate insurance and other financial products that broaden the choices, information and know-how for remittance recipients and senders. Lower transaction fees for sending remittances for climate-related uses or savings programs designated for climate-resilient assets would also encourage greater resilience without infringing on the private nature of these resources.

Smallholder farmer in Mali

Toward this end, IFAD’s Financing Facility for Remittances (FFR) will launch a global programme, ResilientRemit, to maximize the impact of migrant remittances and diaspora investment for improving rural climate resilience and the sustainability of land use and other forms of natural capital, while increasing livelihoods, economic opportunities and reducing the incentives for migration.

ResilientRemit will scale innovative remittance-linked solutions, including technical and financial products that support climate resilience and sustainable practices, as well as business and financial models that facilitate diaspora investments in rural climate resilience. The programme will build know-how for smallholders and other rural enterprises, expand employment skills for rural youth, women and other disadvantaged groups. ResilientRemit will leverage IFAD projects and partnerships to broker opportunities for youth training and apprenticeships for decent employment. These could include IFAD Agribusiness Hubs, where available, and building on the impact of other IFAD projects such as the Rural Enterprise and Remittance Programme (RERP) in Nepal that provided migrant households with financial education and training in climate resilient agriculture among others.

Financial literacy training to women in rural Nepal

ResilientRemit will conduct market assessments that provide the first standardized collection of data on “green remittances,” including the behaviour and strategies of remittance senders and receivers, diaspora investment and related opportunities for improving rural resilience and reducing the incentives for migration. The programme will share learnings and strategies for enabling frameworks that facilitate the use of remittances, and will forge partnerships with national and international public, private and civil society stakeholders on leveraging migrant resources for adaptation and resilience and reducing rural migration. ResilientRemit can provide the incentives, know-how and options that can enable the financial fruit of past migration to sow the seeds for rural resilience and opportunity that will allow more youth to remain and come home.

Programmes: FFR Location: Mexico

Authors: IFAD, CEMLA

Themes: Remittance Families and Development, Market Insights

This document is part of a series of diagnostics covering selected countries in Latin America and Africa. In Mexico, remittances are a cornerstone of economic and social development, reaching a record US$ 61 billion in 2022. Rural and semiurban communities receive a substantial share of remittances, where their impact is most significant due to the economic characteristics of these areas. The diagnostic also explores how remittances intersect with migration trends and highlights the limited integration of digital financial services, which presents opportunities for improving financial inclusion among recipients.

The Mexico Country Diagnostic is a living document that will be updated to incorporate feedback from key stakeholders in Mexico’s remittance ecosystem. It is available only in Spanish and can be downloaded from the RemitSCOPE LAC web portal. This series is developed with the technical support of the Centro de Estudios Monetarios Latinoamericanos (CEMLA) and includes contributions from regional central banks and other key partners.

Este documento forma parte de una serie de diagnósticos que abarcan países seleccionados de América Latina y África. En México, las remesas son un pilar fundamental del desarrollo económico y social, alcanzando un récord de 61 mil millones de US$ en 2022. Las comunidades rurales y semiurbanas reciben una parte sustancial de las remesas, donde su impacto es más significativo debido a las características económicas de estas zonas. El diagnóstico también explora cómo las remesas se intersectan con las tendencias migratorias y destaca la limitada integración de los servicios financieros digitales, lo que presenta oportunidades para mejorar la inclusión financiera entre los beneficiarios.

El Diagnóstico de País de México es un documento dinámico que se actualizará para incorporar comentarios de los principales actores del ecosistema de remesas en México. Está disponible únicamente en español y se puede descargar desde el portal web de RemitSCOPE LAC. Esta serie se desarrolla con el apoyo técnico del Centro de Estudios Monetarios Latinoamericanos (CEMLA) e incluye contribuciones de bancos centrales regionales y otros socios clave.

Download the report (Spanish)

Author: CEMLA, FFR Location: Caribbean, Latin America

Themes: Market Insights, Remittance Families and Development

This research is part of a series of diagnostics covering selected countries in Latin America and Africa, this research offers an in-depth analysis of Guatemala’s remittance market, where remittances account for nearly 20% of GDP and play a vital role in supporting rural communities, which receive over half of the total flows. The diagnostic further explores the connections between remittances, migration trends, and financial inclusion in the country.

The Guatemala Country Diagnostic is a living document that will be updated to reflect feedback from key strategic stakeholders in Guatemala’s remittance ecosystem. Currently, it is available only in Spanish and can be downloaded from the RemitSCOPE LAC web portal. Developed with the technical support of the Centro de Estudios Monetarios Latinoamericanos (CEMLA), this series also benefits from contributions by regional central banks and other key stakeholders.

Esta investigación forma parte de una serie de diagnósticos que cubren países seleccionados de América Latina y África, esta investigación ofrece un análisis en profundidad del mercado de remesas de Guatemala, donde las remesas representan casi el 20% del PIB y desempeñan un papel vital en el apoyo a las comunidades rurales, que reciben más de la mitad de los flujos totales. El diagnóstico explora además las conexiones entre las remesas, las tendencias migratorias y la inclusión financiera en el país.

El Diagnóstico de País de Guatemala es un documento vivo que se actualizará para reflejar los comentarios de los principales actores estratégicos del ecosistema de remesas de Guatemala. Actualmente, sólo está disponible en español y se puede descargar desde el portal web RemitSCOPE LAC. Desarrollado con el apoyo técnico del Centro de Estudios Monetarios Latinoamericanos (CEMLA), esta serie también se beneficia de las contribuciones de los bancos centrales regionales y otros actores clave.

Download the Report (Spanish)

Programmes: EU Mali Location: Mali

Themes: Climate Action, Diaspora Investment, Remittance Families and Development

This report is produced by the Financing Facility for Remittances (FFR) of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) in the framework of the IFAD–United Nations Conventions to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) partnership on Sustainability, Stability and Security in Africa (3S Initiative).

The report delves into the critical intersection of remittances, diaspora investments, and climate adaptation in sub-Saharan Africa, to offer comprehensive insights. The report analyzes the effects of migration and remittances on countries and households of origin, especially in the agricultural sector, and examines initiatives aimed at enhancing the impact of diaspora finance on sustainable development and climate resilience.

Download the full report here:

English Version

French Version

Programmes: EUTF Mali Location: Mali

Themes: Climate Action, Diaspora Investment, Remittance Families and Development

This report was produced by IFAD’s Financing Facility for Remittances (FFR) and Red Mangrove in the framework of the IFAD–UNCCD partnership on Sustainability, Stability and Security in Africa (3S Initiative).

The aim of this study is to document how remittances and diaspora investment can be used as a mean to adapt to climate change in Mali. It is based on a quantitative survey of 400 rural households as well as on qualitative interviews with the returning diaspora and financial services operators, conducted in the regions of Kayes and Sikasso in November 2023.

Download the full report here:

English Version

French Version

Climate Change as a Crisis-Multiplier

Climate change fuels a growing humanitarian and economic crisis in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs). Worsening drought, shifting raining seasons, more intense floods, heatwaves and storms combine to increase rural poverty, reduce food and water security and spur rural migration. Migrant remittances, estimated at $656 billion in 2023, are now a vital financial lifeline for millions in these countries. These private flows help to support recipients’ household expenses, including education, health and many productive activities. Can these intra-family cash transfers also assist families in becoming more resilient in the face of climate change?

Migrant Remittances and Climate Resilience

Remittances are personal financial flows, not development aid or foreign investment. These transfers deliver value directly and efficiently to loved ones back home. Remittances also support climate resilience in agriculture and rural enterprises, enabling the purchase of products and tools, like drought-resilient seeds and crops, water catchment and efficient irrigation among other climate-smart practices. The impact of these actions will be amplified when families access greater financial options, including tailored financing for solutions that expand climate resilience such as low-cost microloans for resilient farming tools and products, climate insurance and access to know-how for more resilient practices.

Greater Financial Choice for Greater Impact

The focus is not on channelling or directing remittance flows, but on broadening the choices, information and capacities recipients need to build climate resilience. Private and public actors have an important role to play by supporting financial and other products services that encourage resilience building. This should include efforts to lower remittance transaction fees for a range of climate-resilient solutions and activities among other incentives.

The IFAD Approach: A Model for Scaling Good Practices

The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), through its Financing Facility for Remittances (FFR), leads projects in climate vulnerable regions and supports financial inclusion and development impact. With the critical support of the European Union, Luxembourg, Spain and Sweden IFAD seeks to expand the productive options for families to use their remittances. Pilot projects demonstrate that with the right financial tools and options, families will invest a portion of their remittances in climate resilience, thereby improving agricultural productivity and resilience to climate hazards. IFAD is focused on scaling these models to enable more rural families to harness their remittances for greater resilience, household incomes and sustainability.

A Call to Action: Leveraging Remittances for Resilient Futures

Public and private support for accessible, climate-resilient financial options for rural remittance families is crucial. With this backing, these private migrant resources can also have a beneficial public impact on furthering climate adaptation and resilience in LMICs. It is time to recognize and encourage this form of migrant climate finance.

Pedro de Vasconcelos, Manager Financing Facility for Remittances, International Fund for Agricultural Development

‘The role of SACCOs as international remittance providers in Kenya’ report sheds light on whether Kenyan SACCOs can play a larger role by offering remittance services directly.

Remittances are a crucial part of Kenya’s economy, surpassing traditional foreign exchange. Globally, and particularly in East Africa, SACCOs (Savings and Credit Cooperative Organisations) play a vital role in providing financial services. The research surveyed 140 SACCOs in Kenya, revealing that nearly a quarter currently offer remittance services, and of these, one-third are developing products tailored for the diaspora. SACCOs have expressed interest in offering remittance services, presenting a key opportunity to provide regulatory, strategic, and operational support for broader reach and more favorable business models.

Author: FFR

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