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Migrant remittances and fertility

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  • Amar I. Anwar
  • Mazhar Y. Mughal

Abstract

This study examines the role of migrants’ remittances in developing countries’ fertility transition. Employing an unbalanced panel of South Asian countries and controlling for various economic and socio-demographic factors, we find that remittances are significantly associated with a lower number of children born to women of childbearing age. This suggests the remittances’ substitution effect to be at play rather than the income effect, and may result from decreased need for children for financing the household’s future needs as well as from better access to healthcare and contraceptive methods available to migrant households. Remittances’ association with fertility appears to be more important than the transfer of fertility norms from migrants’ host countries. The monetary aspects of international migration may therefore be more important for the region’s demographic transition than social remittances.

Suggested Citation

  • Amar I. Anwar & Mazhar Y. Mughal, 2016. "Migrant remittances and fertility," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 48(36), pages 3399-3415, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:applec:v:48:y:2016:i:36:p:3399-3415
    DOI: 10.1080/00036846.2016.1139676
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Gary S. Becker, 1960. "An Economic Analysis of Fertility," NBER Chapters, in: Demographic and Economic Change in Developed Countries, pages 209-240, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    2. Robert E.B. Lucas, 2005. "International Migration and Economic Development," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 3826, June.
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    Cited by:

    1. Oussama Zennati, 2026. "Social remittances versus money remittances-impact of international migration on fertility in Morocco," International Journal of Economic Policy Studies, Springer, vol. 20(1), pages 181-209, February.
    2. Guadalupe Aguilera & Kim Korinek, 2020. "Immigrant Fertility in Comparative Perspective: South Africa and the United States," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 57(1), pages 297-322, February.
    3. Amar Iqbal Anwar & Colin F. Mang, 2022. "Do remittances cause Dutch Disease? A meta-analytic review," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 54(36), pages 4131-4153, August.
    4. Oussama Ben Atta & Kamal Kasmaoui & Mazhar Yasin Mughal & Farid Makhlouf, 2021. "More remittances, fewer kids—Impact of remittances on fertility in Morocco," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 33(8), pages 1238-1256, November.
    5. Muhammad Zakaria & Bashir Ahmed Fida & Saquib Yousaf Janjua & Syed Jawad Hussain Shahzad, 2017. "Fertility and Financial Development in South Asia," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 133(2), pages 645-668, September.
    6. Boburmirzo Ibrokhimov & Rashid Javed & Mazhar Mughal, 2023. "Migrants remittances and fertility in the Post-Soviet states," Post-Communist Economies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 35(6), pages 574-596, August.
    7. Kevin Williams & Christopher Smith, 2025. "Does crime reduce fertility? Evidence from Jamaica," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 45(4), pages 1898-1914.
    8. Regan Deonanan & Benjamin Ramkissoon, 2024. "How Do Remittances Affect Child Mortality at Different Levels of Mortality? Estimating Unconditional Quantile Treatment Effects on Three Leading Causes of Child Mortality," SAGE Open, , vol. 14(2), pages 21582440241, June.

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