Do migrants send remittances as a way of self-insurance?

Catia Batista and Janis Umblijs

Oxford Economic Papers, 2016, vol. 68, issue 1, 108-130

Abstract: How do risk preferences affect migrant remittance behaviour? Examination of this relationship has only begun to be explored. Using a tailored representative survey of 1,354 immigrants in the Greater Dublin Area, Ireland, we find a positive and significant relationship between risk aversion and migrant remittances. Risk-averse individuals are more likely to send remittances home and are, on average, likely to remit a higher amount, after controlling for a broad range of individual and group characteristics. The evidence we obtain, that more remittances are sent by risk-averse immigrants who face higher wage risks and to individuals with more financial resources, is consistent with self-insurance although we cannot, with our data, rule out other exchange motives.

Date: 2016
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Working Paper: Do migrants send remittances as a way of self-insurance? (2014)
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