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Are private transfers poverty and inequality reducing? Household level evidence from Bulgaria

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  • Dimova, Ralitza
  • Wolff, François-Charles

Abstract

With the use of household level data from Bulgaria, treatment effect models and decomposition techniques, we explore the determinants of private transfers and their welfare implications. Our results are consistent with the altruistic hypothesis in that transfers allocate towards households with observed and unobserved characteristics correlated with relatively low levels of welfare. The receipt of transfers improves the living standards of the recipients and decreases their probability of being poor. At the same time, private transfers have only a small positive impact on the expenditure gap between households receiving transfers and those not receiving transfers. Inequality in living standards is primarily driven by unobserved characteristics and to a smaller extent by factors such as education and experience. Journal of Comparative Economics 36 (4) (2008) 584-598.

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  • Dimova, Ralitza & Wolff, François-Charles, 2008. "Are private transfers poverty and inequality reducing? Household level evidence from Bulgaria," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 36(4), pages 584-598, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jcecon:v:36:y:2008:i:4:p:584-598
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    3. Cheema, Ahmed Raza & Coxhead, Ian, 2019. "“Gender Shock†and Household Labor Allocation: Dowry and Labor Migration in Pakistan," Staff Paper Series 593, University of Wisconsin, Agricultural and Applied Economics.
    4. Laetitia Duval & Francois-Charles Wolff, 2010. "Remittances matter: longitudinal evidence from Albania," Post-Communist Economies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 22(1), pages 73-97.
    5. Mitrut, Andreea & Wolff, François-Charles, 2011. "Do private and public transfers received affect life satisfaction? Evidence from Romania," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 32(6), pages 969-979.
    6. Olabimtan Adebowale & Dr Ralitza Dimova, 2016. "Does access to formal finance matter for welfare and inequality? Micro level evidence from Nigeria," Global Development Institute Working Paper Series 072016, GDI, The University of Manchester.
    7. Hong Tan & Zhihua Dong & Haomiao Zhang, 2023. "The impact of intergenerational support on multidimensional poverty in old age: empirical analysis based on 2018 CLHLS data," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 10(1), pages 1-13, December.
    8. Dina Chhorn, 2018. "Effect of Microfinance on Poverty and Welfare: New Evidence from 9 provinces in Cambodia," Cahiers du GREThA (2007-2019) 2018-12, Groupe de Recherche en Economie Théorique et Appliquée (GREThA).
    9. Kumo, Kazuhiro, 2015. "Research on Poverty in Transition Economies: A Meta-analysis on Changes in the Determinants of Poverty," RRC Working Paper Series 51, Russian Research Center, Institute of Economic Research, Hitotsubashi University.
    10. Ralitza Dimova & Ira N. Gang, 2015. "Female Engagement in Commercial Agriculture, Interventions and Welfare in Malawi: What Works for the Poorest?," Departmental Working Papers 201522, Rutgers University, Department of Economics.
    11. Olabimtan Adebowale & David Lawson, 2018. "Does access to formal finance matter for stimulating entrepreneurship in developing countries? Evidence from non-farm entrepreneurial activities in Nigeria," Global Development Institute Working Paper Series 262018, GDI, The University of Manchester.
    12. Laetitia Duval & François-Charles Wolff, 2009. "L'effet des transferts migratoires sur la déforestation dans les pays en développement," Working Papers hal-00421222, HAL.
    13. Aristei, David & Perugini, Cristiano, 2012. "Inequality and reforms in transition countries," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 36(1), pages 2-10.

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