Bangladesh received a record $35.5 billion in remittances during fiscal year 2026, marking a 17.3 percent increase from the $30.3 billion recorded in FY25 overall. Saudi Arabia drove the reshuffle among leading source countries, reclaiming first place after losing the top position in FY24 and remaining behind the United States. In FY26, remittances from Saudi Arabia reached $5.8 billion, up from $4.3 billion a year earlier, representing robust annual growth of 37.2 percent for Bangladesh.
The United Kingdom posted the fastest expansion among the six countries shown, with inflows climbing 60.1 percent from $3.2 billion to $5.1 billion in FY26. That surge placed the United Kingdom second among the listed sources, highlighting a major shift in the composition of Bangladesh’s record remittance earnings during FY26. The United Arab Emirates ranked third, contributing $4.6 billion, compared with $4.2 billion in FY25, as remittances from the country increased by 10 percent annually. Malaysia also strengthened its contribution, with remittance inflows rising from $2.8 billion to $3.4 billion, equivalent to year-on-year growth of 21.4 percent in FY26 overall.
Italy recorded another solid increase, sending $2.1 billion in FY26 against $1.7 billion in FY25, a 24.1 percent rise according to official Bangladesh Bank data. Together, the gains from Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, the UAE, Malaysia, and Italy helped push Bangladesh’s overall remittance receipts to an unprecedented annual level. The figures show that growth was broad across several labor markets, even though one previously dominant source experienced a steep reversal during the fiscal year.
The United States was the only country in the group to register a decline, with inflows falling 36.3 percent from $4.7 billion to $3.0 billion. That drop pushed the United States below Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, the UAE, and Malaysia among the six leading remittance sources presented for FY26. The reversal was especially striking because the United States had overtaken the UAE in FY25 to become Bangladesh’s largest remittance source during that fiscal year.
Saudi Arabia’s return to first place therefore reflects both its strong 37.2 percent increase and the sharp contraction in remittances arriving from the United States. The latest ranking also underscores how quickly Bangladesh’s remittance map can change as inflows rise or fall across overseas employment destinations from year to year. Despite the decline from the United States, total inflows reached a historic peak, demonstrating that stronger receipts elsewhere more than compensated for the American shortfall.
The $5.2 billion increase in overall remittances between FY25 and FY26 provided Bangladesh with substantially higher foreign-currency receipts and established a new national annual record. Saudi Arabia’s $5.8 billion contribution made it the largest source in FY26, while the country’s 37.2 percent growth clearly confirmed the scale of its comeback. The United Kingdom’s leap to $5.1 billion was equally notable, while increases from the UAE, Malaysia, and Italy broadened the base behind the overall expansion. Overall, the FY26 figures capture a record-breaking year shaped by Saudi Arabia’s comeback, strong growth across several markets, and a decline in United States inflows.