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Do happiness and foreign aid affect bilateral migrant remittances?

Author

Listed:
  • B. Mak Arvin
  • Byron Lew
Abstract
Purpose - Studies on the determinants of remittances focus primarily on a single country or undertake cross‐country analyses using aggregate data. By comparison, there is a dearth of empirical evidence on the determinants of remittances from multiple host to multiple destination countries. To address this deficiency, the purpose of this paper is to use a novel dataset which captures these bilateral flows. Design/methodology/approach - The paper concentrates on three sets of explanatory variables: those which characterize the pair relationship, those that pertain to migrants' host country, and those related to the migrants' home country. Findings - Cultural and political factors play a fundamental role. Altruism is not key in migrant remittances; investment motives are more important. Bilateral aid inflows bear a direct relationship to remittances. The marginal effect of happiness (in migrants' host and home countries) on remittances is positive for a large percentage of countries in the sample. Practical implications - Results nullify the oft‐asserted role of remittances in assisting with adverse economic conditions, such as inflation. They also identify a possible nexus between remittances and foreign aid – a link that heretofore has not been identified or discussed in the literature or recognized by policy‐makers. Originality/value - The contribution of the paper is its use of bilateral data to present evidence on remittances capturing not only North‐South, but also South‐South flows. The paper also contributes to the literature by considering, for the first time, some additional variables as potential determinants of remittances, chief among them the level of happiness of migrants' host and home countries, as well as the level of aid disbursed to migrants' home country.

Suggested Citation

  • B. Mak Arvin & Byron Lew, 2012. "Do happiness and foreign aid affect bilateral migrant remittances?," Journal of Economic Studies, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 39(2), pages 212-230, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:eme:jespps:v:39:y:2012:i:2:p:212-230
    DOI: 10.1108/01443581211222662
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Simplice A. Asongu & Jacinta C. Nwachukwu, 2016. "Is the Threat of Foreign Aid Withdrawal an Effective Deterrent to Political Oppression? Evidence from 53 African Countries," Research Africa Network Working Papers 16/020, Research Africa Network (RAN).
    2. Giorgio Fagiolo & Tommaso Rughi, 2023. "Exploring the Macroeconomic Drivers of International Bilateral Remittance Flows: A Gravity-Model Approach," Economies, MDPI, vol. 11(7), pages 1-27, July.
    3. Simplice A. Asongu & Jacinta C. Nwachukwu, 2017. "Not all that glitters is gold: ICT and inclusive human development in Sub-Saharan Africa," International Journal of Happiness and Development, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 3(4), pages 303-322.
    4. Asongu, Simplice, 2014. "Reinventing foreign aid for inclusive and sustainable development: a survey," MPRA Paper 65300, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    5. Simplice Asongu, 2016. "Reinventing Foreign Aid For Inclusive And Sustainable Development: Kuznets, Piketty And The Great Policy Reversal," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(4), pages 736-755, September.
    6. Parviz Dabir-Alai & Abbas Valadkhani, 2016. "Foreign aid, economic outcomes, and happiness," International Journal of Happiness and Development, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 3(2), pages 97-107.
    7. Keerti Mallela & Sunny Kumar Singh & Archana Srivastava, 2020. "Estimating Bilateral Remittances in a Macroeconomic Framework: Evidence from top Remittance-Receiving Countries," Studies in Microeconomics, , vol. 8(1), pages 95-118, June.
    8. Simplice A. Asongu & Joseph I. Uduji & Elda N. Okolo-Obasi, 2020. "Foreign aid volatility and lifelong learning," International Journal of Education Economics and Development, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 11(4), pages 370-406.
    9. Asongu Simplice, 2014. "The Evolving Debate on the Effect of Foreign Aid on Corruption and Institutions in Africa," Working Papers of the African Governance and Development Institute. 14/009, African Governance and Development Institute..
    10. Simplice Asongu, 2014. "A brief clarification to the questionable economics of foreign aid for inclusive human development," Working Papers of the African Governance and Development Institute. 14/028, African Governance and Development Institute..
    11. Syed Ali Abbas & Eliyathamby A. Selvanathan & Saroja Selvanathan, 2023. "The foreign aid and remittance nexus: Evidence from South Asia," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 46(7), pages 2032-2053, July.
    12. Abbas, Syed Ali & Selvanathan, Eliyathamby A. & Selvanathan, Saroja & Bandaralage, Jayatilleke S., 2021. "Are remittances and foreign aid interlinked? Evidence from least developed and developing countries," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 94(C), pages 265-275.
    13. Renz, Timon, 2021. "Development policy based on happiness? A review of concepts, ideas and pitfalls," FZG Discussion Papers 75, University of Freiburg, Research Center for Generational Contracts (FZG).

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