Finances
Where the money that runs Haiti's economy comes from, where it goes, and why the gap between the two is the most telling number about the country's situation. Official data (World Bank), with no interpretation beyond what the numbers directly show.
This is the share of Haiti's GDP that comes from money sent by the diaspora — family and relatives living abroad who transfer money to Haiti. For most countries, this figure is around 1 to 3%. In Haiti, it regularly exceeds 15-20% — one of the highest rates in the world. In practical terms, that means a significant share of the money circulating in the country doesn't come from local production, but from abroad.
The total value of goods and services Haiti sells abroad — mainly textile products assembled locally. It's a modest figure compared to the size of the population, a sign of a limited industrial and export base.
The value of everything Haiti buys from abroad — food, fuel, manufactured goods. Significantly higher than exports: Haiti imports far more than it sells, a structural trade deficit rather than a one-off variation.
What these three numbers, side by side, tell us
Haiti imports far more than it exports. This gap isn't closed by local production — it's largely financed by money sent by the diaspora. In other words, diaspora remittances aren't just help for families: they support a significant share of the country's ability to pay for what it imports.