La Jornada: Half of May remittances, for mothers

Every May, money transfers from Mexicans abroad increase. The reason is not economic, but sentimental: Mother’s Day has established itself as the second moment (some years it is even the first) of greatest flow of remittances to Mexico, only surpassed by the end of year holidays, and the way in which that money arrives has changed radically in the last decade.

According to the May 2025 Remittance Income and Expenses report from the Bank of Mexico (BdeM), that month 5,352 million dollars were received from 13.9 million transactions (an average of 385 dollars per operation).

Although this figure shows a contraction of 4.6 percent compared to May 2024, as a result of the hostile immigration policy of US President Donald Trump, the volume of digital operations remained at historically high levels.

From April to November 2025, money transfers decreased, due in part to the macroeconomic and political environment.

However, the most recent trend shows a recovery. According to the Analysis of Migration and Remittances prepared by the Economic Studies area of ​​BBVA Mexico, in March 2026, 5,394 million dollars entered the country through family remittances, an increase of 4.9 percent compared to the same month in 2025 and the largest increase in the last 16 months.

The rebound comes just before Mother’s Day, which anticipates a May with figures higher than those of the previous year.

The increase at the beginning of the year is partly explained by the depreciation of the peso against the dollar, which increases the real value of each transfer and discourages migrants from cutting back on their shipments.

Historically, in May, an average of 6.5 percent more remittances are received than in April and June, according to BBVA Research.

According to the Federal Consumer Prosecutor’s Office (Profeco), mothers are the recipients of 49.8 percent of the shipments made in May. Likewise, a survey by the Bank of Mexico and the Center for Latin American Monetary Studies confirms that the main declared destination of remittances, mentioned in 49 percent of the interviews, is the mother.

“Mother’s Day does not move the economy because someone sends more. It moves it because millions who never send do so that day,” summarized Andrés Fontao, general director of Finnosummit.

The destination of that money is also different. Unlike the rest of the year, when remittances are used mainly for basic expenses such as food, housing or education, in May celebratory consumption gains weight.

According to Profeco, 51 percent of the resources are allocated to the purchase of clothing, footwear and accessories, and 19 percent to beauty and personal care products.

Around 99 percent of remittances are made through the Interbank Electronic Payment System (SPEI) of the Bank of Mexico. “Digitization is irreversible” and offers various advantages to the more than 12 million Mexicans residing in the United States, who make 96 percent of the shipments, said Jaime Márquez Poo, partner and executive director of Business Development in the Transfer and Payment System.