Expatriate remittances are one of the few indicators that recently brought hope for and strengthened confidence in the Lebanese economy despite the current recession. According to the World Bank report “Migration and development brief 23,” issued Oct. 6, remittances for 2014 could reach $7.7 billion, or approximately 17% of Lebanon's gross domestic product (GDP), a 1.6% increase over 2013 figures. Thus, Lebanon came in second in the Middle East in terms of remittances in 2014, behind Egypt and ahead of Morocco and Jordan.

Remittances have always constituted one section of the Lebanese economy, representing an essential part of the country's GDP. Lebanon was ranked first regionally and 13th globally in remittance-to-GDP ratio, which amounted to 17% for 2013. Moreover, remittances are the basic source of hard currency for achieving stability in Lebanon's current account balance, especially in a country suffering from a structural trade deficit. In addition, remittances often take the form of household assistance, and in this instance are essential in driving consumption. They also allow for the weaving of a safety net for controlling the spread of poverty and providing social services, most notably education and health care.

At the financial level, expatriate remittances support the solvency of Lebanon's banks, thus consolidating the banks’ potential to finance the economy, in particular their ability to buy Lebanese treasury bonds. This promotes monetary stability, the only source of stability in a country buffeted by the region's political and security crises, whose repercussions have had negative effects at the economic, military and political levels.

The most important thing about this source of funding is its sustainability and stable growth rate compared to foreign direct investments, which experienced fluctuations and setbacks since 2006. On average, since 2002, remittances to Lebanon have mostly increased, with only a few dips, and have been relatively steady for the past four years. Thus, they constitute a safety valve for the Lebanese economy.