Figures released by Banque du Liban show that the inflows of expatriates' remittances to Lebanon totaled $7.1bn in 2017, constituting a decrease of 7% from $7.6bn in 2016. The figures include workers’ remittances and the compensation of employees, according to the World Bank's definition of remittances. Remittance inflows to Lebanon in 2017 reached their seventh highest level during the 2002-17 period, compared to a high of $7.6bn in 2016 and a low of $2.54bn in 2002. Remittance inflows to the country averaged $6.3bn annually between 2002 and 2017, but they increased from an annual average of $4.8bn during the 2002-07 period to a yearly average of $7.21bn between 2008 and 2017. Banque du Liban's figures are the only official data on remittance flows to and from Lebanon.

Also, the decrease in remittance inflows to Lebanon in 2017 constituted the steepest annual decline since 2010, when they regressed by 8.8%. In this context, remittance inflows decreased five times year-on-year and expanded three times in the 2010-17 period. Remittance inflows to Lebanon expanded at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.1% during the 2002-17 period, as they posted a CAGR of 17.8% between 2002 and 2007 and a CAGR of -0.2% during the 2008-17 period. 

Further, remittance inflows to Lebanon were equivalent to 13.1% of GDP in 2017 compared to 14.8% of GDP in 2016, 17.9% of GDP in 2010 and 23.2% of GDP in 2007. Aggregate remittance inflows to Lebanon were equivalent to 17.8% of GDP between 2002 and 2017, as they were equivalent to 22.4% of GDP during the 2002-07 period and to 16.5% of GDP between 2008 and 2017.

In parallel, remittance outflows from Lebanon amounted to $4.45bn in 2017, up by 6.8% from $4.17bn in 2016, their fourth highest level during the 2002-17 period. They averaged $3.5bn annually during the 2002-07 period and $4.5bn yearly between 2008 and 2017, with a low of $2.5bn in 2002 and a high of $5.75bn in 2009. Further, remittance outflows from Lebanon were equivalent to 8.2% of GDP in 2017, their second lowest level on record. Aggregate remittance outflows from Lebanon were equivalent to 11.7% of GDP between 2002 and 2017, as they were equivalent to 16.6% of GDP during the 2002-07 period and to 10.3% of GDP between 2008 and 2017. 

As such, net remittance inflows to Lebanon reached $2.6bn in 2017, constituting a decrease of 23.6% from $3.4bn in 2016, but representing their sixth highest level on record. They were equivalent to 4.8% of GDP in 2017, the fifth lowest level during the 2002-17 period.