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Jamaica diaspora sent US$3.12 billion home in 2025/26, Terrelonge says
By Derrick Scott · Friday, October 23, 2026 · 2 min read
Minister of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, with responsibility for diaspora affairs, Hon. Alando N. Terrelonge, is welcomed to the City of Philadelphia by Ms. Donna Jackson Stephens of the Philadelphia Mayor’s Office. Sharing in the welcome are, from left, Lishann Salmon, Chargé d’Affaires at the Embassy of Jamaica in Washington, D.C.; Brian Wallace, Jamaica’s Ambassador to the United Nations; Oliver Mair, Jamaica's Consul General in New York; and Michelle Tulloch-Neil, Global Jamaica Diaspora Council representative for the Northeast United States. The welcome took place at the opening of the second Jamaica Diaspora Northeast USA Conference at Temple University in Philadelphia on Friday, October 23, 2026. Photo Derrick Scott.
Key Points ( 5 )
Jamaicans overseas sent US$3.12 billion in remittances to Jamaica during the 2025/2026 fiscal year, including an additional US$93 million in the three months following Hurricane Melissa compared with the same period a year earlier, Minister of State Alando Terrelonge said Friday.
December 2025 recorded a monthly remittance high of US$296 million, underscoring the diaspora’s role in supporting Jamaica’s economy and recovery following the devastating hurricane.
Terrelonge, who has responsibility for diaspora affairs in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, disclosed the figures while addressing more than 300 delegates at the opening of the second Jamaica Diaspora Northeast USA Conference at Temple University in Philadelphia.
He thanked Jamaicans overseas for their continued support, noting that their contributions extended beyond remittances to include professional expertise, volunteerism, cultural advocacy and community engagement.
“Your contributions to Jamaica’s continued growth and development, even more so in the aftermath of the devastating impact of Hurricane Melissa, to help guide our steady recovery must be acknowledged,” he said.
Jamaicans overseas sent US$3.12 billion in remittances to Jamaica during the 2025/2026 fiscal year, including an additional US$93 million in the three months following Hurricane Melissa compared with the same period a year earlier, Minister of State Alando Terrelonge said Friday.
December 2025 recorded a monthly remittance high of US$296 million, underscoring the diaspora’s role in supporting Jamaica’s economy and recovery following the devastating hurricane.
Terrelonge, who has responsibility for diaspora affairs in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, disclosed the figures while addressing more than 300 delegates at the opening of the second Jamaica Diaspora Northeast USA Conference at Temple University in Philadelphia.
He thanked Jamaicans overseas for their continued support, noting that their contributions extended beyond remittances to include professional expertise, volunteerism, cultural advocacy and community engagement.
“Your contributions to Jamaica’s continued growth and development, even more so in the aftermath of the devastating impact of Hurricane Melissa, to help guide our steady recovery must be acknowledged,” he said.
The two-day conference, being held October 23-24 under the theme “One Diaspora, One Vision: Advancing Jamaica Together,” brings together government officials, diplomats, business executives, investors, educators, health professionals and community leaders to discuss ways to strengthen diaspora engagement in national development.
Terrelonge said the government wanted to move beyond individual acts of goodwill and establish sustainable programmes and partnerships that deliver measurable results for Jamaica.