Jamaicans overseas sent US$3.12 billion home during the 2025/26 fiscal year. The figure was announced by Alando Terrelonge, the Minister of State responsible for diaspora affairs, at the second Jamaica Diaspora Northeast USA Conference at Temple University in Philadelphia on October 23 and 24, as reported by London Daily News and the Jamaica Gleaner.

More than 300 delegates attended the opening session, bringing together people from government, business, education, healthcare and community organisations, as reported by London Daily News.

The Melissa surge

The total includes a marked increase after Hurricane Melissa. Mr Terrelonge said US$93 million more was remitted in the three months immediately following the hurricane than in the corresponding three month period a year earlier, as reported by London Daily News and the Jamaica Gleaner.

December 2025 produced a monthly remittance high of US$296 million. That single month figure sits inside the US$3.12 billion annual total, it is not an extra amount on top of it.

More than money transfers

The conference was about more than the headline number. Mr Terrelonge said the Government wants the relationship with overseas Jamaicans to move beyond individual support toward longer lasting programmes, partnerships and measurable outcomes, pointing to professional expertise, volunteering and cultural advocacy alongside the money, as reported by London Daily News.

One example raised was the Adopt a Clinic programme. As of October 2025, 37 of the 59 clinics involved had received diaspora support, with commitments of more than J$100 million toward primary healthcare, as reported by London Daily News. Farm Up Jamaica, a New York based organisation supporting local production through organic cultivation, was also highlighted.

What happens next

Mr Terrelonge said the Government is exploring ways to reduce barriers affecting trade, business, investment and philanthropy, and identified possible roles for diaspora members on advisory boards, in knowledge transfer programmes and on policy committees, as reported by London Daily News.

No new remittance policy or investment programme was announced alongside the figure. The significance for now is the scale: family by family, transfer by transfer, the diaspora moved US$3.12 billion home in one fiscal year, and stepped up further when the hurricane hit.

Photo credit: Alando Terrelonge portrait via Jamaica Information Service. Temple University aerial via Temple University.