Remittances reach $7,619.9 million to September, but growth slows to 3.5%

El Salvador received $7,619.9 million in family remittances between January and September 2026, up 3.5% from $7,359 million in the same period of 2025, according to Central Reserve Bank (BCR) figures reported by El Diario de Hoy. In the first nine months of 2025, remittances had grown 18.5%.

In September the country received $831.64 million, $11.9 million more than in September 2025 but $31.79 million less than the $863.43 million of August. The BCR's figures are preliminary and may be revised.

Almost all of the money is spent on consumption. About $7,541.5 million, close to 99% of the total, went on everyday household spending such as food, services, medicines and education, while $78.5 million went on investment such as buying or improving property or starting a business, El Diario de Hoy reported. A BCR study found that 26.3% of Salvadoran households, about 505,668, received remittances in 2024, up from 20% in 2015.

Remittances received through cryptocurrency wallets reached $51.75 million in the nine months, 28.7% more than a year earlier, according to BCR data reported by EFE. That is 0.68% of all remittances, and the monthly amount has eased from $6.15 million in May to $5.16 million in September.