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A Fantastic Rain of Gold: European Migrants' Remittances and Balance of Payments Adjustment During the Gold Standard Period

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  • Esteves, Rui
  • Khoudour-Castéras, David

Abstract

While the pre-1914 mass migrations have been widely studied, the related pattern of emigrants' remittances is still largely untouched. This article aims at filling this gap by analyzing the contribution of remittances to financial stability. In the optimum currency area theory, labor mobility can ease the adjustment mechanism for countries under fixed exchange rate regimes. We confirm this claim by showing that emigrants' remittances reduced the incidence of financial disturbances among a sample of emerging economies characterized by substantial emigration. This result underscores the benefits for emerging economies from opening up to international factor flows, despite the associated financial turbulence.“A fantastic rain of gold.†Thus observers in the decades between the nineteenth and the twentieth century described the influx of capital toward Italy generated by emigration remittances. These flows were spread piecemeal across the countryside of the entire peninsula, especially into the poorest regions of marginal mountain agriculture.1

Suggested Citation

  • Esteves, Rui & Khoudour-Castéras, David, 2009. "A Fantastic Rain of Gold: European Migrants' Remittances and Balance of Payments Adjustment During the Gold Standard Period," The Journal of Economic History, Cambridge University Press, vol. 69(4), pages 951-985, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:cup:jechis:v:69:y:2009:i:04:p:951-985_00
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Matteo Gomellini & Cormac Ó Gráda, 2011. "Outward and Inward Migrations in Italy: A Historical Perspective," Quaderni di storia economica (Economic History Working Papers) 08, Bank of Italy, Economic Research and International Relations Area.
    2. Chinmay Tumbe, 2015. "Towards financial inclusion: The post office of India as a financial institution, 1880–2010," The Indian Economic & Social History Review, , vol. 52(4), pages 409-437, October.
    3. Rui Esteves, 2011. "The Political Economy of Global Financial Liberalisation in Historical Perspective," Oxford Economic and Social History Working Papers _089, University of Oxford, Department of Economics.
    4. Mandelman, Federico S. & Zlate, Andrei, 2012. "Immigration, remittances and business cycles," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 59(2), pages 196-213.
    5. Monnet, Eric & Velde, François R., 2020. "Money, Banking, and Old-School Historical Economics," CEPR Discussion Papers 15348, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    6. Andrea Incerpi & Barbara Pistoresi & Alberto Rinaldi, 2020. "Finance and Economic Development in Italy, 1870-1913," Department of Economics 0162, University of Modena and Reggio E., Faculty of Economics "Marco Biagi".
    7. Mata, Maria Eugenia, 2010. "Portuguese public debt and financial business before WWI," Business and Economic Horizons (BEH), Prague Development Center (PRADEC), vol. 3(3), pages 1-18, October.
    8. Paolo Di Martino & Barbara Pistoresi & Alberto Rinaldi, 2016. "International financial flows, domestic banks, and the economic development of the periphery: Italy, 1861-1913," Department of Economics 0104, University of Modena and Reggio E., Faculty of Economics "Marco Biagi".
    9. repec:bdi:workqs:qse_8 is not listed on IDEAS
    10. Rui P. Esteves, 2011. "The Political Economy of Global Financial Liberalisation in Historical Perspective," Oxford University Economic and Social History Series _089, Economics Group, Nuffield College, University of Oxford.
    11. Morys, Matthias, 2013. "Discount rate policy under the Classical Gold Standard: Core versus periphery (1870s–1914)," Explorations in Economic History, Elsevier, vol. 50(2), pages 205-226.

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