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The Effects of International Remittances on Poverty and Inequality in Ethiopia

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  • Berhe Mekonnen Beyene

Abstract

The article studies the effects of international remittances on poverty and inequality in Ethiopia using an urban household survey from 2004. Counterfactual consumption in the hypothetical case of no remittance is estimated in a selection-corrected estimation framework. Inequality and poverty values in the hypothetical and actual cases are then compared. There is a significant reduction in poverty, while inequality does not change. The head count, the poverty gap and the squared poverty gap ratios decreased from 0.41 to 0.38, 0.14 to 0.13, and 0.064 to 0.057 respectively.

Suggested Citation

  • Berhe Mekonnen Beyene, 2014. "The Effects of International Remittances on Poverty and Inequality in Ethiopia," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 50(10), pages 1380-1396, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:jdevst:v:50:y:2014:i:10:p:1380-1396
    DOI: 10.1080/00220388.2014.940913
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    4. SeyedSoroosh Azizi, 2021. "The impacts of workers’ remittances on poverty and inequality in developing countries," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 60(2), pages 969-991, February.
    5. Vacaflores, Diego E., 2018. "Are remittances helping lower poverty and inequality levels in Latin America?," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 254-265.
    6. Ms. Kimberly Beaton & Ms. Svetlana Cerovic & Misael Galdamez & Metodij Hadzi-Vaskov & Franz Loyola & Zsoka Koczan & Mr. Bogdan Lissovolik & Mr. Jan Kees Martijn & Ms. Yulia Ustyugova & Joyce Wong, 2017. "Migration and Remittances in Latin America and the Caribbean: Engines of Growth and Macroeconomic Stabilizers?," IMF Working Papers 2017/144, International Monetary Fund.
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    8. Dambar Uprety and Kevin Sylwester, 2017. "The Effect of Remittances upon Skilled Emigration: An Empirical Study," Journal of Economic Development, Chung-Ang Unviersity, Department of Economics, vol. 42(2), pages 1-15, June.
    9. Yaya Keho, 2017. "Effect of remittances on household consumption in African and Asian countries: A quantile regression approach," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 37(3), pages 1753-1767.
    10. Hrushikesh Mallick & Mantu Kumar Mahalik & Hemachandra Padhan, 2020. "Does globalization exacerbate income inequality in two largest emerging economies? The role of FDI and remittances inflows," International Review of Economics, Springer;Happiness Economics and Interpersonal Relations (HEIRS), vol. 67(4), pages 443-480, December.
    11. Bouoiyour, Jamal & Miftah, Amal & Mouhoud, El Mouhoub, 2016. "Education, male gender preference and migrants' remittances: Interactions in rural Morocco," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 57(C), pages 324-331.
    12. Zsóka Kóczán & Franz Loyola, 2021. "How do migration and remittances affect inequality? A case study of Mexico," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 33(2), pages 360-381, March.
    13. 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.
    14. N. Abiodun LAWAL & Emmanuel Aderinola ADEGUN & Timothy Ayomitunde ADEREMI & Risikat O.S. DAUDA, 2022. "Migrant Remittances, Growth and Poverty Reduction: ARDL- Bounds Test and Granger Causality Approach," Business & Management Compass, University of Economics Varna, issue 1-2, pages 74-90.
    15. Foltz, Jeremy & Guo, Yunnan & Yao, Yang, 2020. "Lineage networks, urban migration and income inequality: Evidence from rural China," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 48(2), pages 465-482.
    16. 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.
    17. Matteo Masotti & Andrei Lucian Turlea & Matteo Vittuari, 2025. "The role of migration in post-soviet communities: the changing structure of rural livelihoods in Moldova," Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 12(1), pages 1-14, December.
    18. Coulibaly, Issiaka & Dembélé, Moustapha, 2024. "Impacts of remittances from internal and international migrants on poverty and inequality in Mali," International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 177(C).
    19. Kefyalew Endale & Getnet Alemu & Worku Gebeyehu, 2024. "The responsiveness of rural poverty to structural and rural transformations in Ethiopia," African Development Review, African Development Bank, vol. 36(3), pages 408-424, September.
    20. Zengzeng Fan & Wei Zou, 2019. "Private Transfer Payments, Inequality, and Poverty: From the Perspective of Households," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(21), pages 1-21, October.
    21. Majeed, Muhammad Tariq, 2015. "Distributional Consequences of Remittances: Evidence from Sixty-Five Developing Countries," MPRA Paper 88673, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 2016.
    22. Bang, James T. & Mitra, Aniruddha & Wunnava, Phanindra V., 2016. "Do remittances improve income inequality? An instrumental variable quantile analysis of the Kenyan case," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 394-402.
    23. Fagbemi, Fisayo & Olufolahan, Toyin, 2019. "Capital inflows, financial development and poverty reduction in Nigeria," MPRA Paper 112784, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 04 Apr 2019.

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