Indonesian migrant workers' remittances surplus US$7.5 billion in 2018

Based on Bank Indonesia data, remittances or foreign exchange transfers from Indonesian Migrant Workers (TKI) working abroad throughout 2018 reached US$10.971 billion, equivalent to Rp153.6 trillion (at an exchange rate of Rp14,000/US dollar). This figure represents a 25.22% increase compared to the previous year.

Meanwhile, remittances from Foreign Workers (TKA) in Indonesia to their home countries this year amounted to only US$3.40 billion (Rp47.65 trillion), a decrease of 1.12% from the previous year. This means that foreign exchange remittances from Indonesian Migrant Workers working abroad recorded a surplus of US$7.57 billion (Rp105.94 trillion).

The difference in foreign exchange remittances from overseas workers increased by 42.47% from the previous year and is the largest in the last six years, as shown in the graph below.