UN Report Finds Record Remittances to Latin America
A United Nations study reports remittances from the United States to Latin American countries grew sharply from 2016 through 2025.
Updated on Nov. 10, 2026 in Immigration
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A report by the International Fund for Agricultural Development, a UN specialized agency, finds that remittances from the United States to Latin American countries reached record levels in 2025. Remittances to Mexico rose 120% from 2016 through 2025, and inflows to Honduras and Nicaragua rose more than 200% over the same period.
Why it matters
The report warns that deportations, employment restrictions, or weaker labor demand could reduce the number of active senders and their capacity to remit. The risk is greatest for economies where remittances make up a substantial share of GDP and the United States accounts for most inflows.
Remittances to Mexico exceeded $64 billion in 2025, representing 4% of the country's GDP and nearly 40% of all remittances received across Latin America. Guatemala's inflows rose from $7.4 billion to $21.6 billion, while Colombia's rose from $5.2 billion to $13.1 billion; the report does not project how these flows will change if migration policies tighten.
The players
International Fund for Agricultural Development
A specialized agency of the United Nations focused on rural poverty and food security, which produced the report.
Banco de México
Mexico's central bank, which operates the Directo a México transfer program with the Federal Reserve Bank.
The details
The report, produced by the International Fund for Agricultural Development, documents growth in remittances to Mexico, Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Colombia, and the Dominican Republic. It cites migration to the United States as a leading factor behind the increase, and notes that Directo a México, a Banco de México transfer program, will shut down on November 20.
Timeline
2016 through 2025: Remittance growth measured across the reported countries.
November 20: Directo a México service ends operations.
Migration Trend
The findings extend a remittance pattern the International Fund for Agricultural Development has tracked across Latin America, where migrant transfers have grown steadily for years. The report's 2025 record figures show that trend continuing even as migration policy in the United States becomes more restrictive.
Families who depend on remittances from relatives in the United States could see their income shift if deportations or employment restrictions reduce the number of senders. The report's warning applies most directly to households and economies where these transfers are a large share of income.
The takeaway
Remittances now form a major share of income in several Latin American economies, so changes in U.S. migration policy carry measurable economic consequences for those countries. Tracking the number of active senders is a useful way to anticipate shifts in these flows.
Further reading
For more on the policies shaping these flows, see Immigration.
Source note: This article includes information reported by BorderReport.
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