Personal remittances and foreign aid received in Malaysia

Malaysia: Personal remittances and foreign aid received was 1.55 billion current US$ in 2021. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2021)
1.55 billion current US$
Change on year
up 8.8%
World rank
72nd
of 193 countries
All-time high
1.69 billion current US$
in 2018
All-time low
3.93 million current US$
in 1976
Years of data
40
1975–2021

Personal remittances and foreign aid received in Malaysia, 1975–2021

0500.0M1.0B1.5B1975199820211975: 4.2M current US$1976: 3.9M current US$1977: 4.1M current US$1978: 4.3M current US$1979: 4.6M current US$1987: 48.8M current US$1988: 99.7M current US$1989: 138.8M current US$1990: 185.2M current US$1991: 130.2M current US$1992: 153.1M current US$1993: 175.6M current US$1994: 119.3M current US$1995: 115.8M current US$1996: 164.2M current US$1997: 194.4M current US$1998: 189.6M current US$1999: 322.9M current US$2000: 342.4M current US$2001: 367.1M current US$2002: 435.0M current US$2003: 571.1M current US$2004: 801.9M current US$2005: 1.1B current US$2006: 1.4B current US$2007: 1.6B current US$2008: 1.3B current US$2009: 1.1B current US$2010: 1.1B current US$2011: 1.2B current US$2012: 1.3B current US$2013: 1.4B current US$2014: 1.6B current US$2015: 1.6B current US$2016: 1.6B current US$2017: 1.6B current US$2018: 1.7B current US$2019: 1.6B current US$2020: 1.4B current US$2021: 1.6B current US$

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 Malaysia stood at 1.55 billion current US$.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 8.8% on the previous year and up 28.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, personal remittances and foreign aid received in Malaysia peaked at 1.69 billion current US$ in 2018 and was at its lowest, 3.93 million current US$, in 1976.

Malaysia ranks 72nd of 193 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

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

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 4.21 million current US$ 3.93 million current US$ 4.57 million current US$ 5
1980s 95.76 million current US$ 48.82 million current US$ 138.81 million current US$ 3
1990s 175.02 million current US$ 115.80 million current US$ 322.89 million current US$ 10
2000s 901.60 million current US$ 342.37 million current US$ 1.56 billion current US$ 10
2010s 1.48 billion current US$ 1.10 billion current US$ 1.69 billion current US$ 10
2020s 1.49 billion current US$ 1.43 billion current US$ 1.55 billion current US$ 2

Countries ranked near Malaysia

  1. 69 Bermuda 1.66 billion current US$ compare
  2. 70 Syria 1.62 billion current US$ compare
  3. 71 Armenia 1.56 billion current US$ compare
  4. 73 Azerbaijan 1.53 billion current US$ compare
  5. 74 Bolivia 1.42 billion current US$ compare
  6. 75 Denmark 1.41 billion current US$ compare

See the full ranking of 193 places →

More reference data data for Malaysia

All data for Malaysia →

Frequently asked questions

What is personal remittances and foreign aid received in Malaysia?
Personal remittances and foreign aid received in Malaysia was 1.55 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 Malaysia?
The highest recorded value was 1.69 billion current US$ in 2018.
What is the lowest personal remittances and foreign aid received recorded in Malaysia?
The lowest recorded value was 3.93 million current US$ in 1976.
How does Malaysia rank for personal remittances and foreign aid received?
Malaysia ranks 72nd out of 193 countries with data for 2021.
Is personal remittances and foreign aid received rising or falling in Malaysia?
Over the last ten years it is up 28.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Malaysia 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 — 40 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

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$.