GCC remittances hit record $161 billion in 2025, highest globally

In 2025, workers in the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries sent a record $161 billion in remittances abroad, making the GCC the world's largest source of outward worker remittances, according to the Statistical Centre for the Cooperation Council for the Arab Countries of the Gulf (GCC-Stat). This represents a 13.6% increase compared to 2024, a rise of approximately $19 billion.

The significant growth in remittances has been fueled by strong demand for expatriate workers across the Gulf and expanding economic activity in various sectors, including infrastructure, services, industry, and non-oil industries. GCC-Stat data shows that GCC sent roughly $142 billion in remittances in 2024, marking the second consecutive year of growth after a decrease in 2023.

The scale of GCC's remittance flows is substantial globally, surpassing the $107 billion recorded by the United States in the same year. The increase in remittances is attributed, in part, to the Gulf economies' expansion beyond hydrocarbons, with large infrastructure projects, construction activity, services, manufacturing, and other non-oil industries creating demand for foreign labor.

Remittances account for about 6.6% of the GCC's combined GDP in 2025, up from 6% in 2024 and 5.7% in 2023. While this metric provides insight into the relative importance of remittance flows compared to the size of the region's economies, it does not necessarily indicate improvements or declines in economic performance.