The citizens of B&H who live all over the world sent about 35 billion BAM from 1998 to this year, to their families and friends in the country.
According to data of the Central Bank, BH diaspora sent 2.013 billion BAM to their homeland in 1998, 2.017 billion BAM in 1999, 2.016 billion BAM in 2000, 2.007 billion BAM in 2001, 1.966 billion BAM in 2002, 1.973 billion BAM in 2003, 2.317 billion BAM in 2004, 2.318 billion BAM in 2005, while 2,468 billion BAM was sent in 2006.
According to the Central Bank B&H (CB), which is tracking these remittances since 1998, the largest transfer was recorded back in 2007 when 2.770 billion BAM was paid on the accounts of citizens, and least money from the Diaspora was paid in 2002 and it amounted to 1.966 billion BAM.
The same source shows that the Diaspora sent 2,522 billion BAM in 2008 in B&H, and 2.010 billion BAM next year, 1.984 billion BAM in 2010, 2.008 billion BAM in 2011, 2.093 billion BAM in 2012, 2.145 billion BAM in 2013 while in 2014 was sent 2,275 billion BAM.
During the first 3 months of this year, remittances of B&H citizens who live and work abroad amounted to 493.6 million BAM, which is by 17.6 million BAM more than in the same period in 2014.
Almost every year B&H diaspora sent more than 2 billion BAM to the homeland.
Experts believe that the money that B&H Diaspora is sending on the accounts of citizens is very important for the overall economic system of B&H since it makes a very important part of the gross domestic product (GDP) of the country.
According to the World Diaspora Association of B&H (SSD B&H), there are more than 1.3 million citizens from B&H all over the world, and data from other institutions show that 1.5 to 2 million people live out of this Balkan’s country. B&H currently has about 4 million people, which means that every third Bosnian lives abroad. Most of the B&H diaspora are people who took refuge or were forced to leave their homes during the war from 1992 to 1995.
Almost 180,000 citizens of B&H is currently living in Germany, 145,000 in the United States, 90,000 in Austria, 54.000 in Sweden, 45.000 in Turkey, 40,000 in Switzerland, 35,000 in Australia, 30,000 in Canada etc.
(Source: klix.ba)
