PSA: Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) Estimated at 2.16 Million, Total Remittances Reached P239 Billion in 2023

​According to the PSA, the number of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) who worked abroad from April to September 2023 was estimated at 2.16 million, an increase of 9.8% from the previous year’s estimated number of 1.96 million. Overseas Contract Workers (OCWs) or Filipino workers with existing work contracts, comprised majority or 98.1% of the total OFWs during the period.

​Other OFWs who were employed and working full time without a working visa or work permit, or uses other types of non-immigrant visas, such as a tourist, visitor, student, and medical visa, accounted for the remaining 1.9% of OFWs who worked abroad from April to September 2023.

Among the total number of OFWs who worked abroad from April to September 2023, 1.20 million or 55.6% were women. Similarly, in 2022, women comprised a larger share of the OFWs working abroad during the period at 1.14 million or 57.8%.

Filipino workers who were 45 years old and over accounted for the biggest number of OFWs who worked abroad in 2023 at 24.1%. This was followed by OFWs aged 30-34 years with 23.5% and those aged 35-39 years with 18.6%.

In terms of age group by sex, male overseas workers who were 45 years old and over comprised the largest share of OFWs at 29.2%, 9.2% points more than the females within the same age group. On the other hand, a higher proportion of females were recorded for ages 25 to 44 compared to their male counterparts.

In 2023, the distribution of OFWs across countries worldwide indicated Asia (77.4%), North and South America (9.8%), Europe (8.4%), Australia (3.0%), and Africa (1.3%) were the leading five destinations for OFWs.

Among Asian countries, Saudi Arabia was the leading destination, accounting for 20.0% of the total OFWs in 2023, followed by United Arab Emirates at 13.6%. Singapore had the least number of OFWs working abroad at 3.9% of the total OFWs in 2023.

Of the estimated 2.16 million OFWs, 37.3% sent cash remittances amounting to P40 thousand to less than P100 thousand. Moreover, 30.9% remitted at least P100 thousand. On the other hand, 12.4% of OFWs did not provide cash remittances during the period.

The total remittance sent by OFWs during the period amounted to P238.63 billion. This includes cash sent (P187.11 billion), cash brought home (P44.70 billion), and in kind (P6.81 billion) remittances.

The average remittance sent by every OFW from April to September 2023 was placed at P123 thousand, higher than the average remittance sent during the same period in 2022, which was valued at P111 thousand.
Of the P187.11 billion cash remittance of the OFWs sent to the country, P129.20 billion or 69.1% of the cash remittances were from OFWs working in Asian countries.