Remittances for Rural Resilience, Entrepreneurship and Employment
Rural territories form the first mile of global food systems and underpin national economies. Home to 44 per cent of the world’s population and nearly 80 per cent of the world’s extreme poor, these areas sit at the frontline of global crises and economic risk. They face challenges from climate shocks and market volatility, but they also hold immense potential. With the right support, small-scale producers can drive growth, reduce poverty, strengthen food security, improve nutrition outcomes, and build resilience in their communities.
Nearly US$700 billion is sent annually in remittances to low- and middle-income countries, representing a large, stable, and dependable financial flow that already supports millions of rural households. Estimates suggest that around one-third of these remittances reach rural areas. Alongside diaspora entrepreneurs and investors, remittances are an underleveraged source of private finance for rural development, with untapped potential to drive entrepreneurship, employment and local economic transformation.
IDFR 2026 Campaign
The International Day of Family Remittances (IDFR) 2026 is conceived as a call to action for public institutions, the private sector and civil society to focus collective effort on how remittances can be better supported to drive more durable household resilience and drive decent work opportunities, employment and entrepreneurship in rural communities – especially for women and youth.
The future belongs to young women and men seeking the tools, resources and opportunities to shape their own paths. Where such opportunities are lacking, economic pressure can make migration a necessity rather than a choice. By supporting diaspora communities, remittance-receiving households, and returnees – and by linking remittances and investments to opportunities at home – policymakers, development partners, and the private sector can boost entrepreneurship, job creation, climate-resilient rural communities, and broader, inclusive local economic development.
Concrete actions
Realising this shift – from coping to opportunity – requires more than access to remittance services alone. It requires working in close partnership with the private sector and harnessing technology and innovation to deliver affordable, digital and people-centred financial services that allow families not only to receive remittances, but also to save, borrow, insure and invest.
Success also depends on strong enabling environments. These include coherent policies, capable institutions, and inclusive digital infrastructure. Public actors have a key role to play by providing incentives, supporting risk-sharing mechanisms and promoting blended approaches. Such measures can leverage remittances and diaspora capital to translate financial flows – and the accompanying skills and knowledge – into sustained local economic impact.
The 2026 IDFR Campaign calls upon the private sector, the public sector and civil society to:
Private sector
- Expand affordable, accessible and competitive remittance services, including through digital innovation, rural agent networks and greater market competition.
- Develop demand-driven financial products linked to remittances that support rural entrepreneurship, micro, small and medium-sized enterprise (MSME) growth, job creation and climate-resilient livelihoods, especially for youth and women.
- Mobilize diaspora capital and entrepreneurship to strengthen rural markets and create employment for the next generation.
Public sector
- Create enabling policy, regulatory and infrastructure environments that support low-cost remittances, rural access to financial services, digital financial inclusion and rural market integration.
- Use public finance strategically to crowd in private investment by leveraging remittances and diaspora capital, including through incentives, blended finance and risk-sharing mechanisms that support rural MSMEs, agrifood systems and employment.
- Facilitate diaspora engagement and investment, including platforms and partnerships that channel capital, skills and innovation into rural, climate-resilient economies.
Civil society and diaspora actors
- Catalyse diaspora investment, entrepreneurship and knowledge transfer in support of rural employment, enterprise development and resilience.
- Strengthen networks and partnerships linking migrants, rural communities, financial institutions and markets to scale impact.
2026 Event
Decade of the International Day of Family Remittances
The session of IFAD's Governing Council takes stock of the IDFR journey and its results to date and reaffirms IFAD’s pioneering role and long-standing commitment to leveraging remittances as a driver of rural transformation. High-level Member State representatives, renowned experts and members of the diaspora highlight the role of remittances in economic resilience and inclusive growth, sharing lessons learned, best practices, and concrete actions that strengthen their transformative impact for families and communities back home.
Date: 10 February 2026
Time: 17:00 – 18:00
Location: IFAD Plenary Hall
