PSA: OFWs increase by 1.5% in 2024, remittances reach P262 billion
MANILA, Philippines – The number of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) reached around 2.19 million in 2024, which is a 1.5 percent increase from the previous year, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported on Tuesday.
According to the PSA, 97.9 percent of the 2.19 million are OFWs with existing work contracts, while the remaining 2.1 percent are OFWs who were employed without a working visa or a work permit, or those who have tourist, visitor, student, and medical visas.
The remittances of the OFWs reached P262.2 billion, consisting of P214.31 billion in cash sent, P40.56 billion in cash brought home, and P7.33 billion in kind.
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PSA also reported that the average remittance sent by OFWs in 2024 was P129,000, or P6,000 more than the average sent in 2023, which was at P123,000.
Of all the OFWs in 2024, 35.9 percent sent cash from P40,000 to less than P100,000; 33 percent remitted at least P100,000, and 11.6 percent of OFWs did not send cash remittances.
The PSA also reported the type of occupations the OFWs were engaged in.
Four in every 10 OFWs were employed for “elementary” jobs or simple and routine tasks, including cleaning, restocking supplies, basic maintenance, washing of cars and windows, helping in kitchens and food preparation, delivering goods, and carrying luggage.
The second most common occupation was plant and machine operations at 15.4 percent, then service and sales jobs at 12.7 percent.
In terms of regions where the OFWs were located, 74.5 percent worked in Asia, 10.6 percent in Europe, 9.2 percent in the Americas, 4.4 percent in Australia, and 1.3 percent in Africa.
In Asia, Saudi Arabia had the highest percentage of OFWs with 21.9 percent, followed by the United Arab Emirates with 12.4 percent. Meanwhile, Malaysia had the lowest number of OFWs at 1.7% of all OFWs in 2024.
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As for the OFWs’ residences, Calabarzon had the largest share of workers at 20.5 percent, followed by Central Luzon with 11.3 percent and Western Visayas at 9.5 percent.
The breakdown of the remaining regions is as follows:
- Metro Manila: 8.6 percent
- Ilocos Region: 8.6 percent
- Cagayan Valley: 6.5 percent
- Central Visayas: 6.4 percent
- SOCCSKSARGEN: 5.2 percent
- Northern Mindanao: 4.2 percent
- Bicol Region: 3.4 percent
- Davao Region: 3.1 percent
- Eastern Visayas: 2.4 percent
- Mimaropa Region: 2.3 percent
- Zamboanga Peninsula: 2.1 percent
- Caraga: 2.1 percent
- Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao: 2.1 percent
- Cordillera Administrative Region: 1.9 percent
The PSA also broke down the OFWs in terms of age group and sex.
More than half, specifically 57.2 percent, of the OFWs are women, while the rest are male, the PSA reported.
It added that those aged 45 years and above have the largest percentage of OFWs at 25.8 percent, followed by those aged 30 to 34 years at 21.3 percent, and 35 to 39 years at 19.2 percent. /mr
