Remittances to Guatemala increased by 14.5 percent in January

GUATEMALA CITY – Remittances to Guatemala from the United States totaled $357.8 million in January, 14.5 percent more than the same month last year, the Bank of Guatemala reported on its website.

In 2012, remittances to Guatemala reached a record high of $4.8 billion, $404 million more than the previous year.

The growth occurred despite the fact that 40,635 people were deported from the United States last year, some 10,000 more than those deported in 2011.

Government officials project a growth of 6 percent in remittances ​​this year, up from the $5 billion mark.

According to the International Organization for Migration, some 1.5 million Guatemalans live abroad, 1.3 million of them in the U.S. Most live without legal residence status.