Sending money to relatives or friends living abroad

Warning View the most recent version.

Archived Content

Information identified as archived is provided for reference, research or recordkeeping purposes. It is not subject to the Government of Canada Web Standards and has not been altered or updated since it was archived. Please "contact us" to request a format other than those available.

Archived

This page has been archived on the Web.

Release date: April 17, 2019
More Information PDF version
Sending money to relatives or friends living abroad
Description: Sending money to relatives or friends living abroad

Sending money to relatives or friends living abroad

Highlights from the 2018 Study on International Money Transfers

$5.2 billion sent abroad in 2017Footnote 1

Destination region and total amount sent in 2017 (in $ million)
Destination region Total amount sent in 2017 (in $ million)
Americas 582
Eastern Europe and Southern Europe 108
Sub-Saharan Africa 501
Northern Africa 147
West Central Asia and the Middle East 190
Eastern Asia 293
Southeast Asia and Oceania 1,419
Southern Asia 1,165
Non ODA-eligible countries 761

Money transfer method used last time in 2017

Money transfer method and associated percentage from 2017
Method Percentage
Money transfer store 56
Hand-carry method 10
Banking in person 9
Money transfer store online 8
Banking online 5
Another type of store 5
Other 3
 Currency exchange store 2
Another service provider online 1
Informal network 1

Top 10 destination countries

Top 10 destination countries for money transfers and total amount sent in 2017 (in millions of $)
Countries Total amount sent in 2017 (in $ millions)
Philippines 1,180
India 794
United States 390
China 292
Pakistan 236
Jamaica 96
Haiti 86
Nigeria 70
Thailand 66
Australia 66
Fee paid last time as a percentage of the amount sent, by amount remitted, amount sent last time in 2017
  $0-200 $200-999 $1,000+
Banking in person 11 6 2
Banking online 7 4 1
Money transfer store 10 4 2
Money transfer store online 8 3 1
Currency exchange store 11 3 1

Source: Statistics Canada, Study on International money transfers, 2018.

More information

Note of appreciation

Canada owes the success of its statistical system to a long-standing partnership between Statistics Canada, the citizens of Canada, its businesses, governments and other institutions. Accurate and timely statistical information could not be produced without their continued co-operation and goodwill.

Standards of service to the public

Statistics Canada is committed to serving its clients in a prompt, reliable and courteous manner. To this end, the Agency has developed standards of service which its employees observe in serving its clients.

Copyright

Published by authority of the Minister responsible for Statistics Canada.

© Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada as represented by the Minister of Industry, 2019

Use of this publication is governed by the Statistics Canada Open Licence Agreement.

Catalogue no. 11-627-M

Frequency: Occasional

Ottawa

Date modified: