Romanians working abroad sent EUR 60 billion back home over past 12 years

Romanians working abroad have sent around EUR 60 billion back home over the past 12 years (from 2013 to mid-2025), more than twice the initially agreed value of Romania’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), according to an analysis published by Cristian Popa, a member of the board of the National Bank (BNR), as quoted by Euronews Romania.

In 2024 alone, remittances to Romania amounted to approximately EUR 6.7 billion, close to 2% of the country’s gross domestic product. The figure is about two and a half times higher than the amount recorded a decade ago.

The increase is attributed both to the growing number of Romanians working abroad and to higher incomes earned by them, the analysis showed.

Over the same year, around EUR 1.7 billion left the country, leaving a positive net balance of nearly EUR 5 billion.

Nearly half of all remittances in 2024 came from the United Kingdom and Germany, despite the fact that the Romanian community in the UK is smaller than those in Italy, Spain, and France.

According to Cristian Popa, the higher volumes from the UK reflect a rapid rise in the number of Romanian workers there as well as higher wages. A similar pattern is seen in Ireland, where a relatively small Romanian community sends back substantial sums, indicating better-paid employment.

The analysis also challenges the widespread perception that large amounts of money leave Romania for Asian countries. Among the top 10 destinations for outgoing payments from Romania, only Nepal appears, accounting for less than 10% of the total.

(Photo source: Inquam Photos/Octav Ganea)