African diaspora transfers $124.2 billion to the continent in 2025

According to a report by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) titled ‘Sending Money Home 2026’, African migrants transferred a total of $124.2 billion to the continent in 2025. This figure represents an 86% increase since 2016 and is more than double the amount of foreign direct investment received by Africa.

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the diaspora transferred $3.31 billion in 2025, an amount equivalent to approximately 16% of the country's annual state budget. Algeria received $1.79 billion from its diaspora, ranking 11th in Africa behind Ghana and ahead of Côte d’Ivoire.

Across the continent, North Africa received the highest concentration of funds at $60.2 billion. The top five recipients of remittances in Africa are Egypt ($41.51 billion), Nigeria ($22.78 billion), Morocco ($13.65 billion), Ethiopia ($7.13 billion), and Kenya ($5 billion), collectively accounting for nearly three-quarters of all inflows.