Every day, millions of people around the world do something quietly extraordinary. They work long hours in jobs far from home. They save carefully. And then they send money — to parents, siblings, children, grandparents — to people they love and may not have seen in months or years.
On 16 June each year, the United Nations marks the International Day of Family Remittances — a day to recognise the scale and significance of this global act of care.
What is the International Day of Family Remittances?
The International Day of Family Remittances (IDFR) was first celebrated on 16 June 2015, after being endorsed by IFAD’s (International Fund for Agricultural Development) Governing Council. It was formally adopted by the UN General Assembly on 12 June 2018 via Resolution A/RES/72/281, making it a universally recognised UN observance.
The day recognises the contribution of migrants to the economies and communities of both their home countries and the countries where they live and work. It also highlights the importance of making remittances more affordable, faster and safer for the families who depend on them.
According to the World Bank, global remittances to low and middle-income countries reached approximately USD 685 billion in 2024 — more than three times the total global aid budget. For many families, money sent from overseas is the primary or most reliable source of income.
The people behind the numbers
Behind every remittance figure is a person. A nurse in Auckland sending money to her parents in Manila. A construction worker in Sydney supporting his family in Kathmandu. A student in Melbourne helping cover hospital bills back in Dhaka. A grandmother in Suva whose grandchildren overseas send something every month without fail.
Remittances are not transactions. They are relationships expressed in financial form.
For the communities OrbitRemit serves across Australia and New Zealand — Filipino, Indian, Nepali, Sri Lankan, Bangladeshi, Pakistani, Fijian, Tongan, Samoan, Bhutanese and many others — sending money home is one of the most consistent, meaningful acts of care that migrant life involves.
Why affordable remittances matter
The cost of sending money matters enormously to families on modest incomes. A 5% fee on a transfer is not a rounding error — it is money that does not reach a child’s school fund, a parent’s medical bill, or a family’s grocery budget.
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals include a specific target: reduce the average cost of remittances to less than 3% of the transfer amount by 2030. The global average currently sits at around 6.36% (World Bank, Q3 2025) — still more than double the target.
Digital providers have driven costs down significantly compared to banks and cash agents. But cost reduction remains unfinished work, particularly for smaller or less-served corridors.
At OrbitRemit, we think about this directly. Flat fees. Rates shown upfront. No hidden charges revealed after the fact. No deduction at the receiving end. The person who sends AUD 200 to Samoa should know exactly what their family will receive before they confirm.
How the world sends money home
Some numbers that put the scale of family remittances in context:
- Global remittances to low and middle-income countries: approximately USD 685 billion in 2024 (World Bank)
- Pakistan received a record USD 4.25 billion in a single month in May 2026 (SBP, June 2026)
- The Philippines received approximately USD 40 billion in global remittances in 2024
- India received more than USD 137 billion in 2024, the highest of any country globally
- Remittances represent 7.3% of the Philippines’ GDP and are a primary income source for millions of families
From all of us at OrbitRemit
To everyone who sends money home from Australia or New Zealand — thank you for trusting us to be part of that connection.
We know that every transfer represents something beyond a financial transaction. It is a parent making sure their children have what they need. It is a son or daughter making good on a promise. It is the way that distance does not have to mean disconnection.
We have been helping people send money home since 2008. We will keep working to make every transfer faster, more affordable and more reliable — because the families on the other end deserve nothing less.
Sources: United Nations — International Day of Family Remittances | World Bank Migration and Development Brief | State Bank of Pakistan, June 2026 | Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, February 2026
