REMITTANCES

Remittances have become the second largest capital inflow to developing countries behind foreign direct investment and since 1995 contribute more money than all of the official development assistance combined.
In Mexico remittances sent by emigrants have become indispensable for 21% of families. These money flows went from USD 1 billion in 1982 to some USD 22 billion in 2006. Although emigrants earn 10 times more in the United States than they would in Mexico, more than 80% of their earnings remain in the United States. The amount of money that actually reaches Mexico almost equals what they would earn there.