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Growth Effects of Remittances:Is there a U-Shaped Relationship?

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This paper shows that the effect of remittances on economic growth entails a U-shaped pattern where it is negative in the beginning but becomes positive later on. The analysis is based on the argument that recipient household savings out of remittances income is negligible or even negative in the initial periods but turns positive in the later part. Using time series data from Bangladesh and single-equation cointegration methods, we find that remittances’ effect on long-run growth is negative and falling until remittances-to-GDP ratio is roughly 9 percent and it starts to become positive when the ratio exceeds 17 percent.

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  • Gazi Mainul Hassan & Mohammed S. Bhuyan, 2013. "Growth Effects of Remittances:Is there a U-Shaped Relationship?," Working Papers in Economics 13/16, University of Waikato.
    • Handle: RePEc:wai:econwp:13/16
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    File URL: https://repec.its.waikato.ac.nz/wai/econwp/1316.pdf
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    remittances and growth; remittances utilisation; total factor productivity (TFP); cointegration; Bangladesh;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • O10 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - General
    • O15 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration
    • F22 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - International Migration
    • F24 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - Remittances

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