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Remittances and the Brain Drain: Evidence from Microdata for Sub-Saharan Africa

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  • Julia Bredtmann
  • Fernanda Martínez Flores
  • Sebastian Otten

Abstract

Based on unique microdata from five Sub-Saharan African countries that contain comprehensive information on both migrants and their households at the origin country, we investigate the effect of migrants’ education on their remittance behaviour. Our results reveal that migrants’ education has no impact on the likelihood of sending remittances, but a positive effect on the amount of money sent, conditional on remitting. The latter effect holds for internal migrants and migrants in non-OECD countries, while it vanishes for migrants in OECD destination countries once characteristics of the origin household are controlled for.

Suggested Citation

  • Julia Bredtmann & Fernanda Martínez Flores & Sebastian Otten, 2019. "Remittances and the Brain Drain: Evidence from Microdata for Sub-Saharan Africa," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 55(7), pages 1455-1476, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:jdevst:v:55:y:2019:i:7:p:1455-1476
    DOI: 10.1080/00220388.2018.1443208
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    1. Abdulloev Ilhom & Epstein Gil S. & Gang Ira N., 2020. "Migration and Forsaken Schooling in Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan," IZA Journal of Development and Migration, Sciendo & Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit GmbH (IZA), vol. 11(1), pages 1-27, January.
    2. Abdulloev Ilhom & Epstein Gil S. & Gang Ira N., 2020. "A Downside to the Brain Gain Story," Economics, Sciendo, vol. 8(2), pages 9-20, December.
    3. Md Shahadath Hossain & Adesola Sunmoni, "undated". "Do Remittances Influence Household Investment Decisions? Evidence from Sub-Saharan Africa," Economics Discussion Papers em-dp2021-04, Department of Economics, University of Reading.
    4. Mohammed A. M. Usman & Huseyin Ozdeser & Behiye Çavuşoğlu & Umar Shuaibu Aliyu, 2022. "On the Sustainable Economic Growth in Sub-Saharan Africa: Do Remittances, Human Capital Flight, and Brain Drain Matter?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(4), pages 1-20, February.
    5. Manuela CHETUE Komguep & Luc NDEFFO Nembot, 2021. "Why Do Employment Policies Fail to Reduce Unemployment in Sub-Saharan Africa? Looking towards the brain drain," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 41(2), pages 615-633.
    6. Joseph B. Ajefu & Joseph O. Ogebe, 2021. "The effects of international remittances on expenditure patterns of the left‐behind households in Sub‐Saharan Africa," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 25(1), pages 405-429, February.
    7. Abdulloev, Ilhom & Epstein, Gil S. & Gang, Ira N., 2020. "Job Status, International Migration and Educational Choice," GLO Discussion Paper Series 709, Global Labor Organization (GLO).

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • F22 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - International Migration
    • F24 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - Remittances
    • O15 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration

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