CUMULATIVE inward remittances to Fiji for the first five months of this year reached $725.5m, marking a 25 per cent comparted to the same period last year.
According to the Reserve Bank of Fiji (RBF), remittance inflows have remained “exceptionally resilient” despite heightened global economic uncertainty, and continued to provide important support to household incomes, foreign exchange earnings and the broader economy.
RBF Governor Ariff Ali said their assessment was that the level of remittances was increasingly being supported by a structural shift rather than solely post-pandemic conditions.
He said those included a larger and more established Fijian diaspora, continued participation in overseas employment schemes such as Australia’s Pacific Australia Mobility (PALM) program and New Zealand’s Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) scheme, and improved access to digital and fintech-based remittance services.
He added ongoing efforts by remittance service providers to reduce transaction costs and expand market reach had also supported the stronger inflows.
“At the same time, remittance growth has moderated from the exceptionally high rates recorded during and immediately after the pandemic period,” Mr Ali told this newspaper.
“Annual growth peaked at 23.1 per cent in 2022 before easing to 2.6 per cent in 2025, indicating that while the remittance base has become significantly larger, growth rates are normalising.
“While it is too early to conclude that remittance inflows have reached a permanent new normal, the evidence suggests that the baseline level of remittances has shifted higher than it was before the pandemic, supported by enduring structural factors.”
However, Mr Ali said the pace of future growth would continue to depend on labour market conditions, migration trends and economic performance in key source countries.
In its June economic review, the central bank said remittances continued to be strong, rising 30.5 per cent to $358.1m cumulative to April on a net basis.
