Subjectively-assessed Welfare and International Remittances: Evidence from Tonga
Using data from a customised household survey in Tonga we assess the responsiveness of migrants' remittances to perceived needs of recipients. We extend a mixed-motives model, incorporating subjectively-assessed recipient welfare. We find evidence supportive of altruism for households below a subjective threshold, implying that remittances provide important social protection for the poor. We also find a positive relationship for those above the threshold implying that welfare improvements in migrant-sending countries could increase or decrease remittance flows depending on pre-transfer welfare level. The effects of remittances on poverty alleviation and income distribution are hence more complex and ambiguous than previous studies suggest.
Year of publication: |
2011
|
---|---|
Authors: | Brown, Richard ; Jimenez, Eliana |
Published in: |
Journal of Development Studies. - Taylor & Francis Journals, ISSN 0022-0388. - Vol. 47.2011, 6, p. 829-845
|
Publisher: |
Taylor & Francis Journals |
Saved in:
Online Resource
Saved in favorites
Similar items by person
-
Brown, Richard P. C., (2008)
-
Wealthy and healthy in the South Pacific
Jimenez, Eliana, (2008)
-
Subjectively-assessed Welfare and International Remittances: Evidence from Tonga
Brown, Richard, (2011)
- More ...