IOM's seventh annual survey on migrant remittances to Guatemala,
released this week in Guatemala City, predicts that remittances to
the country could reach USD 4.4 billion this year.

The 2008 IOM survey, titled "Migrant Remittances and the
Environment", included questions on how migration flows and the
remittances sent by those who migrate following a natural disaster
impact the lives of family members left behind.

According to the report, natural disasters in Central America
are becoming instant migration triggers mainly because of the
governments' inability to respond to the economic distress that
follows a natural disaster.

Economic losses for countries in Latin America and the Caribbean
from hurricanes, tropical storms, floods, earthquakes, and other
natural disasters between 1975 and 2002 reached USD 92 billion (USD
3.4 billion annually).

Victor Lozano, IOM Project Manager of the survey explains,
"Migrants who are already living overseas when a natural disaster
strikes send more remittances.  Therefore, remittances after a
natural disaster can be considered vital to the household economy
of families directly affected and to the country as it deals with
the emergency and reconstruction phases."

The 2008 report reveals that although the overall volume of
remittances has slowly decreased in the past four years, from more
than a 20 per cent yearly increase from 2001 to 2004, remittances
received from 2005 to 2008 have increased by 10 per cent.

Forty-seven per cent of remittances are used for food, clothing,
housing, transportation and other basic needs; 25 per cent for
investment and/or savings; 15 per cent to purchase materials and
other items for micro enterprises; and 12 per cent for healthcare
and education.

In the past six years, IOM surveys have reported that 20 per
cent of total remittances received were allocated to savings and
investment.  This year, the families surveyed confirmed that
in 2008 they expect to save an average of more than USD 1,000 per
family.

The survey, with a sample of some 3,000 households living in all
22 Departments, reports that more than one million Guatemalans
receive remittances from relatives living abroad; 66.5 per cent of
these are received and managed by women.  The total number of
Guatemalans benefitting from remittances is 4.1 million or 30.4 per
cent of the population. Close to 11 per cent of persons receiving
remittances reported being victims of natural disasters.

The survey also found an increase in the number of migrants
sending remittances.  In 2002, 80 of 100 Guatemalans living
abroad sent money to family members; in 2008, 85 of every 100
migrants are sending remittances.  And the average amount
remitted has also increased from USD 222 in 2003 to USD 345 in
2008.

A total of 1,313,931 Guatemalan migrants are sending remittances
in 2008.  Ninety-seven per cent of them are living in the
United States, mainly in the states of California, New York,
Florida and Texas. In 2008, remittances from California alone will
amount to some USD 1.4 billion.

In 2008, 86.1 per cent of remittances were sent via electronic
transfers using Western Union, Money Gram and other international
agencies, and just 10.3 per cent using bank transfers.

A full copy of the report in Spanish is available online at
class="paragraph-link-no-underline" href="http://www.oim.org.gt"
target="_blank" title="">www.oim.org.gt.  The English
version will be available in December 2008. 

For more information please contact:

Victor Lozano

IOM Guatemala

Tel: +502 2362-8367 to 70

E-mail:  "mailto:iomguatemala@iom.int">iomguatemala@iom.int