The figure was released by the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs at a press conference on Thursday in Hanoi.

Nguyen Manh Dong, the committee’s deputy director, said the amount of remittances during the last days of the year increased sharply and is forecast to continue to rise as the Lunar New Year approaches.

Ho Chi Minh City is reported to receive the largest amount of remittances of nearly 9 billion USD, up 35%.

Over the past decade, remittances have become a spotlight of Vietnam. Despite global upheavals, Vietnam has retained its position among the top 10 countries with the largest amount of remittances in the world and among the top 3 recipients of remittances in the Asia-Pacific region.