The rise of remittances in Mexico and more in Chiapas

Since the pandemic in 2020, remittances in Mexico have increased considerably and Mexico, in 2023, has become the second country in the world that receives the most remittances, only behind India. Shipments have gone from 15,138.7 million dollars in 2003 to 63,312.6 million dollars in 2023. In that same period, Chiapas went from 435.1 million dollars to 4,367.2 million dollars

Remittances are an issue that we have been dealing with for some years. In 2023, Chiapas received the largest amount in its history and ranked fourth in the country, while in 2003 it ranked 11th. San Cristóbal de Las Casas, for its part, ranked first among all the municipalities in the country and Comitán the ninth.

The huge jump that has occurred in the reception of remittances in the entity and at the municipal level is even greater, since San Cristóbal de Las Casas and Comitán, in 2023, began to occupy the number 1 and 9 places, respectively. all municipalities in the country. An in-depth study is required to analyze why this is due. Chiapas has been an emerging entity in international migration and had not appeared in the top 4 of the federal entities of Mexico and San Cristóbal and Comitán in the top 10 of all the municipalities of the country.

However, if we analyze the amount received from remittances in 2023, we see that there are some inconsistencies. The Bank of Mexico says that Mexicans, on average, remit 386 dollars monthly. If we divide the amount of remittances sent to Chiapas in 2023, which is equivalent to 4,367.2 million pesos, by the average of shipments 386 dollars for 12 months, 942, 829 Chiapas would have to be remitting monthly and religiously and that is not possible. Even if we assumed that the people of Chiapas remit 1,000 dollars a month, in 12 months it would be equivalent to 12 thousand dollars per Chiapas, but to obtain the amount remitted, 363,932 Chiapas would be needed, but religiously and that is not possible or at least unlikely.

If we refer that amount to San Cristóbal de Las Casas, which has become the main recipient of remittances, which according to the Bank of Mexico received 887 million dollars in 2023. If we assume that the Coletos and Alteños who are sending remittances of The United States does it on average as Mexicans, we would have to say that 191,494 people from Los Altos de Chiapas are remitting religiously every month. If they were to send 1,000 dollars a month, 73,918 people from Chiapas would need to be remitting money every month to San Cristóbal de Las Casas and that is unlikely.

The euphoria over remittances should go away, at least questioning it, since it may have other non-legal sources, which it is not our intention to analyze here. The most significant increase has occurred after the pandemic, that is, in 2020.

Mexico, as a country, sees remittances increase in the period 2020-2023 by 14.9 percent annual average, Chiapas by 54.6 percent annual average, being the entity that increases the most in the entire country, the one that follows is Mexico City with 20.8 percent annual average. San Cristóbal de Las Casas sees remittances increase in the same period by 77.6 percent on average annually and that is not possible. It is to San Cristóbal de Las Casas, as the regional center of Los Altos de Chiapas, that the bulk of remittances from this region arrive.