Remittances and happiness of migrants and their home households
Evidence using matched samples
JournalJournal of Development Studies
AuthorsMohammad Abdul Munim Joarder, Mark Harris, Michael Dockery
PublishedMay 2016
PublisherTaylor & Francis Online
ISSN0022-0388 (Print), 1743-9140 (Online)
Number of Pages1-22
This paper explores how remittances influence happiness among migrants and their households of origin. It is based on a novel data set of matched samples of Bangladeshi migrant households (living in the UK and Malaysia) and their origin families in Bangladesh. Empirical findings suggest that remittances play a significant role in stimulating migrants’ happiness. We also find that the households of origin’s life satisfaction not only depends on receiving remittances from the emigrants, but also other factors such as number of migrants from the household living abroad and the migrants’ country of destination.
The Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre team acknowledges the Wadjuk Nyungar people as the traditional owners of the land on which the Centre is situated.