Record-breaking remittances surpass $30 bBillion mark for the first time

Expatriate Bangladeshis achieved a historic milestone in 2025, sending home a record amount of remittances that exceeded $30 billion in a single year through official banking channels for the first time. 

In the calendar year 2025, remittances reached approximately $32 billion, marking a significant increase from the $26.89 billion recorded in 2024—a rise of about 22 percent.

This surge has provided substantial relief to the overall economy, bolstering foreign exchange reserves and stabilising the balance of payments.

In addition to the annual record, December 2025 saw the second-highest monthly remittance inflow in history, crossing the $3 billion threshold with around $3.23–$3.28 billion received. 

This followed the all-time monthly high of $3.29 billion in March 2025, driven by seasonal factors around Ramadan and Eid. For comparison, November 2025 brought in about $2.89 billion, while December 2024 saw $2.64 billion. Typically, remittances peak around Eid periods, but the strong inflows in late 2025 reflect a broader upward trend, contributing to rapid growth in foreign exchange reserves, which surpassed $33 billion by the end of December.

Experts attribute the sustained increase in remittances to developments following the political transition in August 2024, including a notable decline in the use of informal hundi channels. 

Previously, some funds were diverted through under-invoicing of imports or other means to settle payments abroad. The current administration's crackdown on money laundering, along with efforts to repatriate previously siphoned funds, has encouraged greater use of formal channels. 

Initiatives include investigations into irregularities involving major business groups and associates of the former government.

According to Bangladesh Bank data, the central bank has actively purchased dollars from the market amid the increased inflows, acquiring over $3 billion in the first half of the fiscal year. 

As of late December 2025, gross foreign exchange reserves stood at over $33 billion—the highest in three years—with BPM6-method reserves at approximately $28.52 billion. This represents a strong recovery from the low of around $20 billion at the time of the political change in 2024, reversing years of depletion where the bank had sold billions to support the currency. 

The peak historical reserves remain at $48 billion, reached in August 2021.