Personal remittances and foreign aid received in Japan

Japan: Personal remittances and foreign aid received was 5.29 billion current US$ in 2021. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2021)
5.29 billion current US$
Change on year
up 8.3%
World rank
31st
of 193 countries
All-time high
5.29 billion current US$
in 2021
All-time low
90.00 million current US$
in 1977
Years of data
39
1977–2021

Personal remittances and foreign aid received in Japan, 1977–2021

02.0B4.0B6.0B1977199920211977: 90.0M current US$1978: 130.0M current US$1979: 160.0M current US$1980: 140.0M current US$1981: 190.0M current US$1982: 210.0M current US$1983: 180.0M current US$1984: 210.0M current US$1991: 508.1M current US$1992: 582.0M current US$1993: 776.5M current US$1994: 874.1M current US$1995: 1.2B current US$1996: 500.2M current US$1997: 614.9M current US$1998: 553.8M current US$1999: 566.5M current US$2000: 773.4M current US$2001: 1.2B current US$2002: 1.1B current US$2003: 811.1M current US$2004: 773.6M current US$2005: 905.0M current US$2006: 1.2B current US$2007: 1.4B current US$2008: 1.7B current US$2009: 1.6B current US$2010: 1.7B current US$2011: 2.1B current US$2012: 2.5B current US$2013: 2.4B current US$2014: 3.7B current US$2015: 3.3B current US$2016: 3.8B current US$2017: 4.4B current US$2018: 4.4B current US$2019: 4.4B current US$2020: 4.9B current US$2021: 5.3B current US$

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

Analysis

Japan recorded 5.29 billion current US$ for personal remittances and foreign aid received in 2021. That is the highest value across all 39 years on record.

The figure is up 8.3% on the previous year and up 148.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, personal remittances and foreign aid received in Japan peaked at 5.29 billion current US$ in 2021 and was at its lowest, 90.00 million current US$, in 1977.

That places Japan 31st out of 193 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the top quarter.

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

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 126.67 million current US$ 90.00 million current US$ 160.00 million current US$ 3
1980s 186.00 million current US$ 140.00 million current US$ 210.00 million current US$ 5
1990s 680.78 million current US$ 500.17 million current US$ 1.15 billion current US$ 9
2000s 1.15 billion current US$ 773.41 million current US$ 1.73 billion current US$ 10
2010s 3.28 billion current US$ 1.68 billion current US$ 4.44 billion current US$ 10
2020s 5.09 billion current US$ 4.89 billion current US$ 5.29 billion current US$ 2

Countries ranked near Japan

  1. 28 United States 7.09 billion current US$ compare
  2. 29 Lebanon 6.35 billion current US$ compare
  3. 30 Sri Lanka 5.52 billion current US$ compare
  4. 32 Jordan 5.07 billion current US$ compare
  5. 33 Croatia 4.98 billion current US$ compare
  6. 34 Serbia 4.60 billion current US$ compare

See the full ranking of 193 places →

More reference data data for Japan

All data for Japan →

Frequently asked questions

What is personal remittances and foreign aid received in Japan?
Personal remittances and foreign aid received in Japan was 5.29 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 Japan?
The highest recorded value was 5.29 billion current US$ in 2021.
What is the lowest personal remittances and foreign aid received recorded in Japan?
The lowest recorded value was 90.00 million current US$ in 1977.
How does Japan rank for personal remittances and foreign aid received?
Japan ranks 31st out of 193 countries with data for 2021.
Is personal remittances and foreign aid received rising or falling in Japan?
Over the last ten years it is up 148.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Japan 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$.