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Precautionary saving from different sources of income - evidence from rural Pakistan

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  • Adams, Richard H.

Abstract

Few studies have tried to measure how households in a developing country save from each of the different income sources at their disposal. To help fill that gap, the Author uses five-year panel data to examine how households in rural Pakistan save from each of the seven separate sources of income. The author finds that households save from different sources of income at significantly different marginal rates. For example, the marginal propensity to save from external remittances (0.711) is much higher than that for rental income (0.085). As the precautionary model of saving suggests, the reasons for this relate to uncertainty: income that is more variable, tends to be saved at a higher marginal rate. Faced with incomplete capital, and credit markets, households in rural Pakistan save: for a rainy day"by putting away mainly those sources of income that are more variable, and uncertain.

Suggested Citation

  • Adams, Richard H., 2002. "Precautionary saving from different sources of income - evidence from rural Pakistan," Policy Research Working Paper Series 2761, The World Bank.
  • Handle: RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:2761
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    Cited by:

    1. Davies, Simon & Easaw, Joshy & Ghoshray, Atanu, 2009. "Mental accounting and remittances: A study of rural Malawian households," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 30(3), pages 321-334, June.
    2. Brian Roberts & Malgorzata Markiewitz & Marjan Nikolov & Aleksandar Stojkov, 2008. "A Study On Determinants And Trends In Remittance Flows In Macedonia," Journal Articles, Center For Economic Analyses, pages 41-61, June.
    3. Amar Iqbal Anwar & Mazhar Mughal, 2012. "Remittances, inequality and poverty in Pakistan: macro and microeconomic Evidence [Centre d'Analyse Théorique et de Traitement des données économiques REMITTANCES, INEQUALITY AND POVERTY IN PAKISTA," Working papers of CATT hal-01885153, HAL.
    4. Miguel D. Ramirez & Hari Sharma, 2009. "Remittances and Growth in Latin America: A Panel Unit Root and Panel Cointegration Analysis," Estudios Economicos de Desarrollo Internacional, Euro-American Association of Economic Development, vol. 9(1).
    5. Couharde, Cécile & Generoso, Rémi, 2015. "The ambiguous role of remittances in West African countries facing climate variability," Environment and Development Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 20(4), pages 493-515, August.
    6. 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.
    7. Lykke E. Andersen & Bent Jesper Christensen & Oscar Molina, 2005. "The Impact of Aid on Recipient Behavior: A Micro-Level Dynamic Analysis of Remittances, Schooling, Work, Consumption, Investment and Social Mobility in Nicaragua," Development Research Working Paper Series 02/2005, Institute for Advanced Development Studies.
    8. Gloria Clarissa O. Dzeha, 2016. "The decipher, theory or empirics: a review of remittance studies," African Journal of Accounting, Auditing and Finance, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 5(2), pages 113-134.
    9. Anupam Das & Murshed Chowdhury, 2011. "Remittances and GDP Dynamics in 11 Developing Countries: Evidence from Panel Cointegration and PMG Techniques," Romanian Economic Journal, Department of International Business and Economics from the Academy of Economic Studies Bucharest, vol. 14(42), pages 3-23, December.
    10. repec:dau:papers:123456789/4459 is not listed on IDEAS
    11. Nasim Shah Shirazi & Sajid Amin Javed & Dawood Ashraf, 2018. "Remittances, Economic Growth and Poverty: A Case of African OIC Member Countries," The Pakistan Development Review, Pakistan Institute of Development Economics, vol. 57(2), pages 121-143.
    12. Anjum Siddiqui & Abdul Waheed & Haider Mahmood, 2016. "Social and Macroeconomic Uncertainty and Private Savings: A Case Study of a Developing Economy," International Journal of Economics and Financial Issues, Econjournals, vol. 6(4), pages 1768-1777.
    13. Waidler, Jennifer, 2016. "On the fungibility of public and private transfers: A mental accounting approach," MERIT Working Papers 2016-060, United Nations University - Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (MERIT).
    14. Yoshino, Naoyuki & Taghizadeh-Hesary, Farhad & Otsuka, Miyu, 2017. "International Remittances and Poverty Reduction: Evidence from Asian Developing Countries," ADBI Working Papers 759, Asian Development Bank Institute.
    15. Shirin Akter, 2018. "Do remittances and foreign aid augment the gross savings: Bangladesh, India and Philippines perspective?," International Review of Economics, Springer;Happiness Economics and Interpersonal Relations (HEIRS), vol. 65(4), pages 449-463, December.
    16. World Bank, 2007. "Social Protection in Pakistan : Managing Household Risks and Vulnerability," World Bank Publications - Reports 7660, The World Bank Group.
    17. Amara Amjad Hashmi & Maqbool H. Sial & Maaida Hussain Hashmi, 2008. "Trends and Determinants of Rural Poverty: A Logistic Regression Analysis of Selected Districts of Punjab," The Pakistan Development Review, Pakistan Institute of Development Economics, vol. 47(4), pages 909-923.
    18. Cooray Arusha, 2014. "Do Low-Skilled Migrants Contribute More to Home Country Income? Evidence from South Asia," The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 14(3), pages 1185-1212, July.
    19. Sana Sardar & Dilawar Khan & Alam Khan & Róbert Magda, 2022. "The Influence of Aid for Trade on Human Development in South Asia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-12, September.
    20. Kashif Imran & Evelyn S. Devadason & Cheong Kee Cheok, 2019. "Developmental Impacts of Remittances on Migrant-Sending Households: Micro-Level Evidence from Punjab, Pakistan," Journal of South Asian Development, , vol. 14(3), pages 338-366, December.
    21. Rahila Munir & Maqbool H. Sial & Ghulam Sarwar & Samina Shaheen, 2011. "Effect of Workers Remittances on Private Savings Behavior in Pakistan," Asian Economic and Financial Review, Asian Economic and Social Society, vol. 1(3), pages 95-103, September.
    22. Arusha Cooray & Nabamita Dutta & Sushanta Mallick, 2016. "Does female human capital formation matter for the income effect of remittances? Evidence from developing countries," Oxford Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 44(4), pages 458-478, October.
    23. Mamoun Benmamoun & Kevin Lehnert, 2013. "Financing Growth: Comparing The Effects Of Fdi, Oda, And International Remittances," Journal of Economic Development, Chung-Ang Unviersity, Department of Economics, vol. 38(2), pages 43-65, June.

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