Remittance is more than three times as large as the total global foreign aid. In 2021, $780 billion was sent to 800 million people, while foreign aid totalled $200 billion. Most remittance flows from high-income countries to lower-income countries. Workers' remittances are a significant part of international capital flows, especially with regard to labor-exporting countries.

A substantial share of remittance ends up in the hands of banks and money-transfer companies