Personal remittances and foreign aid received in Vanuatu
Vanuatu: Personal remittances and foreign aid received was 199.83 million current US$ in 2021. ◆ Volatile
Personal remittances and foreign aid received in Vanuatu, 1982–2021
Source: World Bank based on International Monetary Fund balance of payments data (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in current US$.
Analysis
Vanuatu recorded 199.83 million current US$ for personal remittances and foreign aid received in 2021. That is the highest value across all 40 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 57.2% on the previous year and up 818.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, personal remittances and foreign aid received in Vanuatu peaked at 199.83 million current US$ in 2021 and was at its lowest, 4.00 million current US$, in 2003.
That places Vanuatu 141st out of 193 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Personal remittances and foreign aid received in Vanuatu, year by year
| Year | current US$ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1982 | 9.35 million current US$ | — |
| 1983 | 7.15 million current US$ | -23.6% |
| 1984 | 8.47 million current US$ | +18.5% |
| 1985 | 8.74 million current US$ | +3.2% |
| 1986 | 8.02 million current US$ | -8.2% |
| 1987 | 8.46 million current US$ | +5.5% |
| 1988 | 8.01 million current US$ | -5.4% |
| 1989 | 7.32 million current US$ | -8.6% |
| 1990 | 8.21 million current US$ | +12.2% |
| 1991 | 9.06 million current US$ | +10.3% |
| 1992 | 14.09 million current US$ | +55.5% |
| 1993 | 12.04 million current US$ | -14.5% |
| 1994 | 18.12 million current US$ | +50.4% |
| 1995 | 6.13 million current US$ | -66.2% |
| 1996 | 35.57 million current US$ | +480.4% |
| 1997 | 15.53 million current US$ | -56.3% |
| 1998 | 7.78 million current US$ | -49.9% |
| 1999 | 9.62 million current US$ | +23.7% |
| 2000 | 13.51 million current US$ | +40.4% |
| 2001 | 18.43 million current US$ | +36.5% |
| 2002 | 4.10 million current US$ | -77.8% |
| 2003 | 4.00 million current US$ | -2.5% |
| 2004 | 4.93 million current US$ | +23.4% |
| 2005 | 5.10 million current US$ | +3.4% |
| 2006 | 4.99 million current US$ | -2.1% |
| 2007 | 5.54 million current US$ | +11.1% |
| 2008 | 8.91 million current US$ | +60.7% |
| 2009 | 11.49 million current US$ | +29.0% |
| 2010 | 11.77 million current US$ | +2.4% |
| 2011 | 21.77 million current US$ | +84.9% |
| 2012 | 22.04 million current US$ | +1.2% |
| 2013 | 23.71 million current US$ | +7.6% |
| 2014 | 41.58 million current US$ | +75.4% |
| 2015 | 39.65 million current US$ | -4.6% |
| 2016 | 48.84 million current US$ | +23.2% |
| 2017 | 85.97 million current US$ | +76.0% |
| 2018 | 115.17 million current US$ | +34.0% |
| 2019 | 152.10 million current US$ | +32.1% |
| 2020 | 127.08 million current US$ | -16.4% |
| 2021 | 199.83 million current US$ | +57.2% |
Vanuatu compared with similar countries
- Vanuatu's 199.83 million current US$ is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 650.39 million current US$, 31% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Vanuatu's 199.83 million current US$ is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 453.09 million current US$, 44% of the median. (31 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Personal remittances and foreign aid received in Vanuatu changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | +480.4% | 6.13 million current US$ | 35.57 million current US$ |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 8.19 million current US$ | 7.15 million current US$ | 9.35 million current US$ | 8 |
| 1990s | 13.62 million current US$ | 6.13 million current US$ | 35.57 million current US$ | 10 |
| 2000s | 8.10 million current US$ | 4.00 million current US$ | 18.43 million current US$ | 10 |
| 2010s | 56.26 million current US$ | 11.77 million current US$ | 152.10 million current US$ | 10 |
| 2020s | 163.45 million current US$ | 127.08 million current US$ | 199.83 million current US$ | 2 |
Countries ranked near Vanuatu
- 138 Tonga 215.67 million current US$ compare
- 139 Guinea-Bissau 206.11 million current US$ compare
- 140 Mozambique 201.87 million current US$ compare
- 142 Iceland 193.32 million current US$ compare
- 143 Sierra Leone 183.79 million current US$ compare
- 144 Ireland 179.85 million current US$ compare
More reference data data for Vanuatu
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.0174 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.0819 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 0.0994 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0001 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 0.0994 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.0583 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.0658 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.4612 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 0.5857 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0003 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is personal remittances and foreign aid received in Vanuatu?
- Personal remittances and foreign aid received in Vanuatu was 199.83 million 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 Vanuatu?
- The highest recorded value was 199.83 million current US$ in 2021.
- What is the lowest personal remittances and foreign aid received recorded in Vanuatu?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.00 million current US$ in 2003.
- How does Vanuatu rank for personal remittances and foreign aid received?
- Vanuatu ranks 141st out of 193 countries with data for 2021.
- Is personal remittances and foreign aid received rising or falling in Vanuatu?
- Over the last ten years it is up 818.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Vanuatu 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
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$.