Remittances to Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) reached $66.5 billion in 2007, an increase of 7% over 2006. During a year of economic growth across the region, migrant workers sent home one-third more than net Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), and more than ten times Official Development Assistance (ODA), making 2007 the fifth year in a row that remittance inflows topped the combined sum of FDI and ODA to the region. This is even more impressive when keeping in mind that actual remittances are about 10% higher due to the difficulties of estimating the value of remittances carried across borders by hand.