Personal Remittances from the Diaspora Fell from €331 Million to €310 Million in Two Years, or 2 Percent of GDP

On November 1, Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski took part in the third conference of the VMRO-DPMNE committees abroad in Solingen, Germany. As carried by Republika, he said the diaspora is an inseparable part of the homeland, and the talks covered communication with the diaspora and opportunities for investment and return. The news reports contain no concrete figures or concrete promises, so we collected public data on diaspora money.

Part of the visit. Mickoski has been on a working visit to North Rhine-Westphalia since October 31. According to the announcement, political meetings and meetings with companies are planned, and he also takes part in the summit “Stronger Together – Resilience as an Imperative for the Whole Society”.

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Personal transfers. According to the Eurostat model, carried by Vecer on June 7, 2026, Macedonians abroad sent €310 million in 2024, or 2 percent of GDP. In 2023 the amount was €319 million, and in 2022 €331 million. The fall over two years is about 6 percent (our calculation).

How much €310 million is. At a rate of 61.5 denars per euro that is about 19 billion denars (our calculation), or about 47 percent of the 40.8 billion denars of capital expenditure envisaged in the 2027 Draft Budget. The fall from 331 to 310 million means about €21 million less a year compared with 2022.

Total inflows. The same text states that total inflows from emigrants through all channels in 2024 are €2.27 billion, of which €1.688 billion through exchange offices, according to National Bank data. Most of the money arrives as cash. These are different measurements, so they must not be compared directly with the €310 million. The text also says the decline continued in 2025.

Comparison with the region. In 2024, €4.47 billion reached Serbia, €1.99 billion Bosnia and Herzegovina, €1.32 billion Kosovo, €1.28 billion Albania and €345 million Montenegro. According to the same text, relative to population and GDP Macedonians send the least of the group.

Why the decline. Vecer lists as reasons the permanent emigration of whole families, ageing and higher living costs in host countries. That is the author’s interpretation, not an official finding. According to the same text, about 700,000 Macedonian citizens live abroad, almost 35 percent of the population, and that number is not confirmed by an official source.

The support claim. Mickoski also said VMRO-DPMNE clearly has the largest support, larger than all other political parties combined. No opinion poll was cited, so it remains a political statement, which we do not check here.

What is not confirmed. There is no new official figure for 2025 and 2026 in the sources we checked, and the figure of 700,000 has no official source, so the percentages should be read with caution.

What to follow. New National Bank data on private transfers for 2025 and the first half of 2026, and whether talks with the diaspora lead to concrete measures for return or investment.

MKNews Hub · Macedonia · November 2, 2026