Jamaica diaspora sent US$3.12 billion home in 2025/26, Terrelonge says
Minister of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, with responsibility for diaspora affairs, Hon. Alando N. Terrelonge, is welcomed to the City of Philadelphia by Ms. Donna Jackson Stephens of the Philadelphia Mayor’s Office. Sharing in the welcome are, from left, Lishann Salmon, Chargé d’Affaires at the Embassy of Jamaica in Washington, D.C.; Brian Wallace, Jamaica’s Ambassador to the United Nations; Oliver Mair, Jamaica's Consul General in New York; and Michelle Tulloch-Neil, Global Jamaica Diaspora Council representative for the Northeast United States. The welcome took place at the opening of the second Jamaica Diaspora Northeast USA Conference at Temple University in Philadelphia on Friday, October 23, 2026. Photo Derrick Scott.
Key Points(5)
- Jamaicans overseas sent US$3.12 billion in remittances to Jamaica during the 2025/2026 fiscal year, including an additional US$93 million in the three months following Hurricane Melissa compared with the same period a year earlier, Minister of State Alando Terrelonge said Friday.
- December 2025 recorded a monthly remittance high of US$296 million, underscoring the diaspora’s role in supporting Jamaica’s economy and recovery following the devastating hurricane.
- Terrelonge, who has responsibility for diaspora affairs in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, disclosed the figures while addressing more than 300 delegates at the opening of the second Jamaica Diaspora Northeast USA Conference at Temple University in Philadelphia.
- He thanked Jamaicans overseas for their continued support, noting that their contributions extended beyond remittances to include professional expertise, volunteerism, cultural advocacy and community engagement.
- “Your contributions to Jamaica’s continued growth and development, even more so in the aftermath of the devastating impact of Hurricane Melissa, to help guide our steady recovery must be acknowledged,” he said.
Jamaicans overseas sent US$3.12 billion in remittances to Jamaica during the 2025/2026 fiscal year, including an additional US$93 million in the three months following Hurricane Melissa compared with the same period a year earlier, Minister of State Alando Terrelonge said Friday.
December 2025 recorded a monthly remittance high of US$296 million, underscoring the diaspora’s role in supporting Jamaica’s economy and recovery following the devastating hurricane.
Terrelonge, who has responsibility for diaspora affairs in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, disclosed the figures while addressing more than 300 delegates at the opening of the second Jamaica Diaspora Northeast USA Conference at Temple University in Philadelphia.
He thanked Jamaicans overseas for their continued support, noting that their contributions extended beyond remittances to include professional expertise, volunteerism, cultural advocacy and community engagement.
“Your contributions to Jamaica’s continued growth and development, even more so in the aftermath of the devastating impact of Hurricane Melissa, to help guide our steady recovery must be acknowledged,” he said.
The two-day conference, being held October 23-24 under the theme “One Diaspora, One Vision: Advancing Jamaica Together,” brings together government officials, diplomats, business executives, investors, educators, health professionals and community leaders to discuss ways to strengthen diaspora engagement in national development.
Terrelonge said the government wanted to move beyond individual acts of goodwill and establish sustainable programmes and partnerships that deliver measurable results for Jamaica.
He cited the Ministry of Health and Wellness’ Adopt-a-Clinic programme, which had received diaspora support for 37 of its 59 adopted clinics as of October 2025. The initiative represented a commitment of more than J$100 million toward improving access to primary health care across the island.
The minister also highlighted Farm Up Jamaica, a New York-based nonprofit organisation whose agricultural initiatives aim to increase local food production, reduce imports and expand exports through the cultivation of organic produce.
Other diaspora-supported initiatives have included professional development programmes in education, public health, science and technology, as well as contributions to school and health infrastructure through the National Education Trust and the National Health Fund.
“The Jamaica diaspora is, therefore, a reservoir of professional expertise, entrepreneurial capacity, innovation, networks and international experience,” Terrelonge said, encouraging participants to find ways to connect those resources more directly with Jamaica’s development priorities.
He said the government was exploring measures to reduce institutional barriers to trade, business, investment and philanthropy while improving diaspora access to investment opportunities.
Other areas for greater engagement include participation in advisory boards, knowledge-transfer programmes and policy committees.
Terrelonge also encouraged Jamaicans overseas to participate in the country’s 65th anniversary of Independence celebrations in 2027, scheduled for August 5-8 under the theme “Celebrate, Connect, Experience, Give Back.”
He urged diaspora members to use the occasion to reconnect with family, support Jamaican businesses, explore investment opportunities and introduce younger generations to the island’s culture and heritage.
The opening session also featured Jamaica’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Brian Wallace; Consul General of Jamaica in New York Oliver Mair; and Lishann Salmon, chargé d’affaires at the Embassy of Jamaica in Washington, D.C.
The conference is being organised under the leadership of Michelle Tulloch-Neil, Global Jamaica Diaspora Council representative for the northeastern United States. It follows the inaugural Northeast Diaspora Conference, held in Philadelphia in 2025.
