IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/afe/journl/v12y2010i1p73-96.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The Global Financial Crisis and Workers' Remittances to Africa: What's the Damage?

Author

Listed:
  • Adolfo Barajas
  • Ralph Chami
  • Connel Fullenkamp
  • Anjali Garg

Abstract

We estimate the impact of the recent global economic crisis on remittances into Africa for the period 2009-2010. Interestingly, the majority of remittances seem to flow within the African continent. The magnitude of the forecast decreases in remittance flows into African countries varies between 3 and 14 percentage points. African migrants to Europe will be hardest hit while migrants within Africa will be least affected by the crisis. We estimate the impact of the drop in remittances on home country GDP. For countries where the ratio of these flows to home country GDP is high, GDP is expected to drop by almost 2 percent for 2009. The negative effect of the crisis, however, is likely to be short-lived, as host country income is likely to rise in 2010 for virtually all African remittance-recipient countries.

Suggested Citation

  • Adolfo Barajas & Ralph Chami & Connel Fullenkamp & Anjali Garg, 2010. "The Global Financial Crisis and Workers' Remittances to Africa: What's the Damage?," Journal of African Development, African Finance and Economic Association (AFEA), vol. 12(1), pages 73-96.
    • Handle: RePEc:afe:journl:v:12:y:2010:i:1:p:73-96
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.afeawpapers.org/RePEc/afe/afe-journl/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/JAD_vol12_ch51.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Parsons, Christopher R. & Skeldon, Ronald & Walmsley, Terrie L. & Winters, L. Alan, 2007. "Quantifying international migration : a database of bilateral migrant stocks," Policy Research Working Paper Series 4165, The World Bank.
    2. Nicholas P. Glytsos, 2005. "The contribution of remittances to growth: A dynamic approach and empirical analysis," Journal of Economic Studies, Emerald Group Publishing, vol. 32(5), pages 468-496, October.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Deodat E. Adenutsi & Meshach J. Aziakpono & Matthew K. Ocran, 2011. "The Changing Impact Of Macroeconomic Environment On Remittance Inflows In Sub-Saharan Africa," Journal of Academic Research in Economics, Spiru Haret University, Faculty of Accounting and Financial Management Constanta, vol. 3(2 (July)), pages 136-167.
    2. Nyamongo, Esman Morekwa & Misati, Roseline N. & Kipyegon, Leonard & Ndirangu, Lydia, 2012. "Remittances, financial development and economic growth in Africa," Journal of Economics and Business, Elsevier, vol. 64(3), pages 240-260.
    3. Yaw Nyarko, 2014. "The Returns to the Brain Drain and Brain Circulation in Sub-Saharan Africa: Some Computations Using Data from Ghana," NBER Chapters, in: African Successes, Volume II: Human Capital, pages 305-345, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    4. Abida Zouheir & Imen Mohamed Sghaier, 2014. "Remittances, Financial Development and Economic Growth: The Case of North African Countries," Romanian Economic Journal, Department of International Business and Economics from the Academy of Economic Studies Bucharest, vol. 17(51), pages 137-170, March.
    5. Nusrate Aziz & Arusha Cooray & Wing Leong Teo, 2021. "Do immigrants’ funds affect the exchange rate?," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 44(2), pages 560-585, February.
    6. Bentour, El Mostafa, 2013. "Should Moroccan Officials Depend on the Workers’ Remittances to Finance the Current Account Deficit?," MPRA Paper 52290, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 01 May 2013.
    7. Ibrahim Sirkeci & Jeffrey H. Cohen & Dilip Ratha, 2012. "Migration and Remittances during the Global Financial Crisis and Beyond," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 13092.
    8. Njangang, Henri & Nembot Ndeffo, Luc & Noubissi Domguia, Edmond & Fosto Koyeu, Prevost, 2018. "The long-run and short-run effects of foreign direct investment, foreign aid and remittances on economic growth in African countries," MPRA Paper 89747, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    9. Edem Kwame Mensah Klobodu & Samuel Adams, 2016. "Capital Flows and Economic Growth in Ghana," Journal of African Business, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 17(3), pages 291-307, September.
    10. Hector Perez-Saiz & Mr. Jemma Dridi & Tunc Gursoy & Mounir Bari, 2019. "The Impact of Remittances on Economic Activity: The Importance of Sectoral Linkages," IMF Working Papers 2019/175, International Monetary Fund.
    11. Uwaoma G. Nwaogu & Michael J. Ryan, 2015. "FDI, Foreign Aid, Remittance and Economic Growth in Developing Countries," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 19(1), pages 100-115, February.
    12. Emmanuel Owusu-Sekyere & Francis M. Kemegue & Reneé van Eyden, 2011. "What drives remittance inflows to Sub-Saharan Africa: A Dynamic Panel Approach," Working Papers 262, Economic Research Southern Africa.
    13. Ouyang, Alice Y. & Paul, Saumik, 2018. "The effect of skilled emigration on real exchange rates through the wage channel," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 89(C), pages 139-153.
    14. Paul, Saumik & Ouyang, Alice & Li, Rachel Cho Suet, 2014. "Skilled emigration and exchange rate : theory and empirics," IDE Discussion Papers 484, Institute of Developing Economies, Japan External Trade Organization(JETRO).
    15. Renee van Eyden & Emmanuel Owusu-Sekyere & Francis Kemegue, 2011. "Remittance Inflows to Sub-Saharan Africa: The Case of SADC," Working Papers 201127, University of Pretoria, Department of Economics.
    16. Sanket Mohapatra & Dilip Ratha, 2010. "Forecasting migrant remittances during the global financial crisis," Migration Letters, Migration Letters, vol. 7(2), pages 203-213, October.
    17. Brown, Martin, 2013. "The transmission of banking crises to households : lessons from the 2008-2011 crises in the ECA region," Policy Research Working Paper Series 6528, The World Bank.
    18. Cuadros-Meñaca, Andres, 2020. "Remittances, health insurance, and pension contributions: Evidence from Colombia," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 127(C).
    19. Strike Mbulawa & Samuel Chingoiro & Robert Machera, 2022. "Dynamics of the remittances: Fnancial development nexus in Sub Saharan Africa (SSA)," International Journal of Research in Business and Social Science (2147-4478), Center for the Strategic Studies in Business and Finance, vol. 11(4), pages 171-182, June.
    20. Adams, Samuel & Klobodu, Edem Kwame Mensah, 2016. "Remittances, regime durability and economic growth in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA)," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 1-8.
    21. Hien, Nguyen Phuc & Hong Vinh, Cao Thi & Phuong Mai, Vu Thi & Kim Xuyen, Le Thi, 2020. "Remittances, real exchange rate and the Dutch disease in Asian developing countries," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 131-143.
    22. Apergis, Nicholas & Cooray, Arusha, 2018. "Asymmetric real exchange rates and poverty: The role of remittances," Emerging Markets Review, Elsevier, vol. 35(C), pages 111-119.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Gabriel J. Felbermayr & Benjamin Jung & Farid Toubal, 2010. "Ethnic Networks, Information, and International Trade: Revisiting the Evidence," Annals of Economics and Statistics, GENES, issue 97-98, pages 41-70.
    2. Michel Beine & Frédéric Docquier & Maurice Schiff, 2013. "International migration, transfer of norms and home country fertility," Canadian Journal of Economics, Canadian Economics Association, vol. 46(4), pages 1406-1430, November.
    3. Deodat E. Adenutsi & Meshach J. Aziakpono & Matthew K. Ocran, 2011. "The Changing Impact Of Macroeconomic Environment On Remittance Inflows In Sub-Saharan Africa," Journal of Academic Research in Economics, Spiru Haret University, Faculty of Accounting and Financial Management Constanta, vol. 3(2 (July)), pages 136-167.
    4. Jean-Claude Berthélemy & Mathilde Maurel, 2009. "The consistency of EU foreign policies towards new member states," European Economy - Economic Papers 2008 - 2015 365, Directorate General Economic and Financial Affairs (DG ECFIN), European Commission.
    5. Claire Naiditch & Radu Vranceanu, 2009. "Migratory Equilibria with Invested Remittances," Post-Print halshs-00376472, HAL.
    6. Artuc, Erhan & Docquier, Frédéric & Özden, Çaglar & Parsons, Christopher, 2015. "A Global Assessment of Human Capital Mobility: The Role of Non-OECD Destinations," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 65(C), pages 6-26.
    7. Peter H. Egger & Maximilian von Ehrlich & Douglas R. Nelson, 2012. "Migration and Trade," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 35(2), pages 216-241, February.
    8. Michael A. Clemens, 2011. "Economics and Emigration: Trillion-Dollar Bills on the Sidewalk?," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 25(3), pages 83-106, Summer.
    9. Gordon Hanson, 2010. "The Governance of Migration Policy," Journal of Human Development and Capabilities, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 11(2), pages 185-207.
    10. Melitz, Jacques & Toubal, Farid, 2014. "Native language, spoken language, translation and trade," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 93(2), pages 351-363.
    11. Wadood, Syed Naimul & Hossain, Amzad, 2017. "Microeconomic impact of remittances on household welfare: Evidences from Bangladesh," Business and Economic Horizons (BEH), Prague Development Center (PRADEC), vol. 13(1).
    12. A. Nurul Hossain & Syed Hasanuzzaman, 2013. "Remittances and investment nexus in Bangladesh: an ARDL bounds testing approach," International Review of Economics, Springer;Happiness Economics and Interpersonal Relations (HEIRS), vol. 60(4), pages 387-407, December.
    13. Heinrich R. Bohlmann, 2012. "Reducing illegal immigration to South Africa: A dynamic CGE analysis," Working Papers 201213, University of Pretoria, Department of Economics.
    14. Aguiar, Angel H. & Walmsley, Terrie L., 2014. "The importance of timing in the U.S. response to undocumented immigrants: A recursive dynamic approach," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 41(C), pages 253-262.
    15. David de la Croix & Frederic Docquier, 2015. "An Incentive Mechanism to Break the Low-skill Immigration Deadlock," Review of Economic Dynamics, Elsevier for the Society for Economic Dynamics, vol. 18(3), pages 593-618, July.
    16. Naufal, George S & Vargas-Silva, Carlos, 2009. "Changing Fertility Preferences One Migrant at a Time: The Impact of Remittances on the Fertility Rate," IZA Discussion Papers 4066, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    17. Fuchs, Andreas & Klann, Nils-Hendrik, 2013. "Emergency Aid 2.0," VfS Annual Conference 2013 (Duesseldorf): Competition Policy and Regulation in a Global Economic Order 79898, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    18. Martinez, Candace & Cummings, Michael E. & Vaaler, Paul M., 2015. "Economic informality and the venture funding impact of migrant remittances to developing countries11Please contact Paul M. Vaaler regarding this paper. This research benefitted from a presentation at ," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 30(4), pages 526-545.
    19. Tchantchane, A. & Rodrigues, G. & Fortes, P.C., 2013. "An Empirical Study on the importance of Remittance and Educational Expenditure on Growth: Case of the Philippines," Applied Econometrics and International Development, Euro-American Association of Economic Development, vol. 13(1), pages 173-186.
    20. Sanket Mohapatra & Dilip Ratha, 2010. "Forecasting migrant remittances during the global financial crisis," Migration Letters, Migration Letters, vol. 7(2), pages 203-213, October.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:afe:journl:v:12:y:2010:i:1:p:73-96. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Christian Nsiah (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/afeaaea.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.