Personal remittances and foreign aid received in China

China: Personal remittances and foreign aid received was 17.12 billion current US$ in 2021. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2021)
17.12 billion current US$
Change on year
up 16.3%
World rank
11th
of 193 countries
All-time high
33.10 billion current US$
in 2015
All-time low
188.86 million current US$
in 1989
Years of data
40
1982–2021

Personal remittances and foreign aid received in China, 1982–2021

010.0B20.0B30.0B1982200120211982: 617.3M current US$1983: 542.0M current US$1984: 403.0M current US$1985: 271.0M current US$1986: 445.3M current US$1987: 228.0M current US$1988: 326.3M current US$1989: 188.9M current US$1990: 195.9M current US$1991: 389.8M current US$1992: 619.4M current US$1993: 631.4M current US$1994: 857.0M current US$1995: 350.0M current US$1996: 1.7B current US$1997: 4.6B current US$1998: 344.0M current US$1999: 530.0M current US$2000: 758.1M current US$2001: 1.2B current US$2002: 2.4B current US$2003: 4.6B current US$2004: 6.6B current US$2005: 3.3B current US$2006: 4.3B current US$2007: 6.8B current US$2008: 9.1B current US$2009: 9.2B current US$2010: 13.6B current US$2011: 16.6B current US$2012: 17.1B current US$2013: 17.8B current US$2014: 29.9B current US$2015: 33.1B current US$2016: 26.9B current US$2017: 28.7B current US$2018: 24.3B current US$2019: 14.3B current US$2020: 14.7B current US$2021: 17.1B current US$

Source: World Bank based on International Monetary Fund balance of payments data (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in current US$.

Analysis

In 2021, personal remittances and foreign aid received in China stood at 17.12 billion current US$.

The figure is up 16.3% on the previous year and up 3.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, personal remittances and foreign aid received in China peaked at 33.10 billion current US$ in 2015 and was at its lowest, 188.86 million current US$, in 1989.

That places China 11th out of 193 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the top 10%.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 377.73 million current US$ 188.86 million current US$ 617.32 million current US$ 8
1990s 1.02 billion current US$ 195.94 million current US$ 4.59 billion current US$ 10
2000s 4.84 billion current US$ 758.08 million current US$ 9.21 billion current US$ 10
2010s 22.22 billion current US$ 13.64 billion current US$ 33.10 billion current US$ 10
2020s 15.92 billion current US$ 14.71 billion current US$ 17.12 billion current US$ 2

Countries ranked near China

  1. 8 Germany 20.26 billion current US$ compare
  2. 9 Nigeria 19.48 billion current US$ compare
  3. 10 Ukraine 18.06 billion current US$ compare
  4. 12 Guatemala 15.41 billion current US$ compare
  5. 13 Belgium 14.29 billion current US$ compare
  6. 14 Morocco 10.91 billion current US$ compare

See the full ranking of 193 places →

More reference data data for China

All data for China →

Frequently asked questions

What is personal remittances and foreign aid received in China?
Personal remittances and foreign aid received in China was 17.12 billion current US$ in 2021, according to World Bank based on International Monetary Fund balance of payments data (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest personal remittances and foreign aid received recorded in China?
The highest recorded value was 33.10 billion current US$ in 2015.
What is the lowest personal remittances and foreign aid received recorded in China?
The lowest recorded value was 188.86 million current US$ in 1989.
How does China rank for personal remittances and foreign aid received?
China ranks 11th out of 193 countries with data for 2021.
Is personal remittances and foreign aid received rising or falling in China?
Over the last ten years it is up 3.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this China data come from?
The figures come from World Bank based on International Monetary Fund balance of payments data (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Personal remittances and foreign aid received. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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About this data

Indicator
Personal remittances and foreign aid received
Unit
current US$
Source
World Bank based on International Monetary Fund balance of payments data (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
193 places, 6,518 data points, 1970–2021
Last refreshed

Remittances are financial transfers from non-residents to residents of a country, such as a worker abroad sending money to family and friends. Foreign aid is measured as official development assistance. Both are measured in current US$.