CENTER FOR TRANSFORMATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS

USAID partners with diasporas to grow development impact.

DIASPORAS DRIVE DEVELOPMENT

Diaspora is a term of self-identification used by a community of people who live outside a shared country of origin, ancestry, or affinity, but maintain active connections with it. More than 62 million Americans – one-fifth of the country – are first or second-generation diasporans, making the United States home to more global diaspora members than any other country. With roots around the world, these communities are uniquely positioned to amplify and sustain global growth.

Diasporas are key players in sustainable development. The backbone of diaspora contributions to development come in the form of remittances – the financial resources sent back to their countries of origin. In 2015, diasporans invested $440 billion in low- and middle-income countries through remittances. But diasporans offer much more to advance sustainable development. As diaspora populations grow in the U.S. and internationally, so does the scope of their contributions by transferring resources, knowledge, and ideas back to their home countries.