In a remote town in southern Kyrgyzstan, teacher Nur Akhmatov watched workers building a library, conference hall and women's sports centre -- construction mostly funded by Kyrgyz emigrants sending money home from Russia.

The project in Batken is a snapshot of how important emigrant labour has become for economies across Central Asia.

The flow of remittances to the region came in at record amounts last year, according to World Bank data.

An all-time high of $3 billion flowed into Kyrgyzstan from migrant workers living abroad, accounting for around 25 percent of the country's gross domestic product.

In neighbouring Tajikistan, the $6 billion made-up almost half its GDP -- the highest level in the world.

Uzbekistan, the region's most populous nation, received $14.8 billion -- 14 percent of GDP.

"When I worked in Moscow, I donated 300 som ($3) a month," said Akhmatov, who is supervising the construction of the building in his home village.

He said some 1,500 migrants recently contributed to build a new school in Batken, where the average salary is around $235.

A new sports........

© International Business Times