New data released this Valentine’s Day by money transfer service WorldRemit shows that Ghanaians living in the United Arab Emirates are the most generous long distance lovers, sending on average $203 (?162) more than usual to their loved ones for Valentine’s Day*.

Following closely behind are Ghanaians who have migrated and are currently living in:

-      Sweden, sending on average $76 (61) more

-        Germany, sending on average $17 (13.5) more

Remittances play an important role in the economy of Ghana. According to official WorldBank data, Ghanaians abroad sent almost $5 billion back home to friends and family in 2015.

Alix Murphy, Director of Mobile Partnerships at WorldRemit, said: “Looking at this year’s data we can see that Ghanaians in the UAE, Sweden and Germany are planning ahead and sending more money to their loved ones in the days leading up to Valentine’s Day. On average, these groups sent $17 to $203 more for Valentine’s Day compared to the next week to mark the occasion.”  

The WorldRemit app lets people send money straight from their smartphone, instead of having to travel to a money transfer agent. Those receiving money– often in developing countries - can collect the funds as Mobile Money, bank transfer, for cash pickup or as a mobile airtime top-up.

WorldRemit’s service is available to senders in 50 countries. It offers transfers to more than 140 destinations across Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia and the Americas. WorldRemit customers send 580,000 transfers every month.

For more information on how to send money back home to the Ghana, please visit https://www.worldremit.com/en/ghana