Personal remittances and foreign aid received in South Korea
South Korea: Personal remittances and foreign aid received was 7.79 billion current US$ in 2021. ◆ Volatile
Personal remittances and foreign aid received in South Korea, 1976–2021
Source: World Bank based on International Monetary Fund balance of payments data (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in current US$.
Analysis
The most recent figure for personal remittances and foreign aid received in South Korea is 7.79 billion current US$, measured in 2021. That is the highest value across all 46 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 3.7% on the previous year and up 18.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, personal remittances and foreign aid received in South Korea peaked at 7.79 billion current US$ in 2021 and was at its lowest, 47.00 million current US$, in 1976.
South Korea ranks 25th of 193 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Personal remittances and foreign aid received in South Korea, year by year
| Year | current US$ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1976 | 47.00 million current US$ | — |
| 1977 | 103.00 million current US$ | +119.1% |
| 1978 | 105.00 million current US$ | +1.9% |
| 1979 | 101.00 million current US$ | -3.8% |
| 1980 | 562.60 million current US$ | +457.0% |
| 1981 | 690.60 million current US$ | +22.8% |
| 1982 | 784.30 million current US$ | +13.6% |
| 1983 | 920.50 million current US$ | +17.4% |
| 1984 | 945.50 million current US$ | +2.7% |
| 1985 | 1.16 billion current US$ | +22.5% |
| 1986 | 1.74 billion current US$ | +50.0% |
| 1987 | 2.07 billion current US$ | +19.2% |
| 1988 | 2.50 billion current US$ | +21.0% |
| 1989 | 2.19 billion current US$ | -12.7% |
| 1990 | 2.41 billion current US$ | +10.3% |
| 1991 | 2.68 billion current US$ | +11.0% |
| 1992 | 2.93 billion current US$ | +9.3% |
| 1993 | 2.89 billion current US$ | -1.4% |
| 1994 | 3.09 billion current US$ | +6.9% |
| 1995 | 3.28 billion current US$ | +6.2% |
| 1996 | 3.35 billion current US$ | +2.3% |
| 1997 | 3.89 billion current US$ | +15.9% |
| 1998 | 4.96 billion current US$ | +27.5% |
| 1999 | 4.33 billion current US$ | -12.6% |
| 2000 | 4.52 billion current US$ | +4.4% |
| 2001 | 4.52 billion current US$ | -0.2% |
| 2002 | 5.13 billion current US$ | +13.7% |
| 2003 | 5.88 billion current US$ | +14.4% |
| 2004 | 5.94 billion current US$ | +1.0% |
| 2005 | 5.20 billion current US$ | -12.4% |
| 2006 | 4.85 billion current US$ | -6.7% |
| 2007 | 5.15 billion current US$ | +6.3% |
| 2008 | 6.98 billion current US$ | +35.4% |
| 2009 | 6.00 billion current US$ | -14.0% |
| 2010 | 5.85 billion current US$ | -2.4% |
| 2011 | 6.60 billion current US$ | +12.8% |
| 2012 | 6.59 billion current US$ | -0.2% |
| 2013 | 6.48 billion current US$ | -1.7% |
| 2014 | 6.57 billion current US$ | +1.5% |
| 2015 | 6.46 billion current US$ | -1.7% |
| 2016 | 6.52 billion current US$ | +0.9% |
| 2017 | 6.53 billion current US$ | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 7.13 billion current US$ | +9.2% |
| 2019 | 7.17 billion current US$ | +0.6% |
| 2020 | 7.51 billion current US$ | +4.8% |
| 2021 | 7.79 billion current US$ | +3.7% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 7.79 billion current US$ is above the median for high income countries, which is 688.87 million current US$, 11.3× the median. (67 countries reporting)
- South Korea's 7.79 billion current US$ is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 453.09 million current US$, 17.2× the median. (31 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Personal remittances and foreign aid received in South Korea changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | +457.0% | 101.00 million current US$ | 562.60 million current US$ |
| 1977 | +119.1% | 47.00 million current US$ | 103.00 million current US$ |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 89.00 million current US$ | 47.00 million current US$ | 105.00 million current US$ | 4 |
| 1980s | 1.36 billion current US$ | 562.60 million current US$ | 2.50 billion current US$ | 10 |
| 1990s | 3.38 billion current US$ | 2.41 billion current US$ | 4.96 billion current US$ | 10 |
| 2000s | 5.42 billion current US$ | 4.52 billion current US$ | 6.98 billion current US$ | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.59 billion current US$ | 5.85 billion current US$ | 7.17 billion current US$ | 10 |
| 2020s | 7.65 billion current US$ | 7.51 billion current US$ | 7.79 billion current US$ | 2 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
More reference data data for South Korea
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.9638 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.9281 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 3.55 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.2074 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 3.55 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 3.23 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 4.37 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 5.17 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 19.85 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 1.13 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is personal remittances and foreign aid received in South Korea?
- Personal remittances and foreign aid received in South Korea was 7.79 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 South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 7.79 billion current US$ in 2021.
- What is the lowest personal remittances and foreign aid received recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 47.00 million current US$ in 1976.
- How does South Korea rank for personal remittances and foreign aid received?
- South Korea ranks 25th out of 193 countries with data for 2021.
- Is personal remittances and foreign aid received rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 18.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this South Korea 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 46 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
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$.