{
  "title": "Altruism and Workers’ Remittances: Evidence from Selected Countries in the Middle East and Central Asia",
  "publication": "IMF Working Papers, May 1, 2006",
  "sourceUrl": "https://www.imf.org/en/publications/wp/issues/2016/12/31/altruism-and-workers-remittances-evidence-from-selected-countries-in-the-middle-east-and-19178",
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  "summary": "Workers' remittances have been playing an increasingly important role in the balance of payments of many countries and can significantly contribute to the strength of their external positions.",
  "sections": [
    {
      "heading": "Summary and main findings",
      "content": "- Workers' remittances have been playing an increasingly important role in the balance of payments of many countries and can significantly contribute to the strength of their external positions.\n- Assessing the likely stability of remittance flows is a valuable input to the analysis of external vulnerabilities.\n- The paper argues that \"altruism,\" as a motive to send money home, would contribute to the stability of remittance flows.\n- Evidence suggests that altruism could have played an important role in the flow of remittances to Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Pakistan, and Tunisia in recent years."
    },
    {
      "heading": "Methodology and key indicator",
      "content": "- Uses a simple framework that relates workers' remittances to agricultural GDP.\n- Agricultural GDP is used as an indicator of economic \"hardship\" in the home country.\n- The relationship between remittances and agricultural GDP is used to infer the presence and role of altruistic motives in remittance behavior."
    },
    {
      "heading": "Countries covered and empirical evidence",
      "content": "- Empirical evidence focuses on: Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Pakistan, and Tunisia.\n- For these countries, the analysis suggests that altruism could have played an important role in recent remittance flows."
    },
    {
      "heading": "Policy implications and analytical use",
      "content": "- Stability of remittance flows—when driven by altruism—can strengthen external positions and reduce external vulnerabilities.\n- Incorporating likely stability of remittances into balance of payments analysis can improve assessments of external vulnerabilities."
    },
    {
      "heading": "Keywords and subject areas",
      "content": "- Subject: Exchange rates, External position, Outward remittances, Remittances, Service exports\n- Keywords: exchange rate, money, money home, remittance, remittance flow, WP\n\nJacques Bouhga-Hagbe. \"Altruism and Workers’ Remittances: Evidence from Selected Countries in the Middle East and Central Asia\", IMF Working Papers 2006, 130 (2006), May 1, 2006, DOI: https://doi.org/10.5089/9781451863901.001\n\n---\n\n Content in this bundle\n\n- wp06130\n  - wp06130 (Markdown version){rel=\"alternate\" type=\"text/markdown\"}\n  - wp06130 (PDF){rel=\"external\" type=\"application/pdf\"}\n\n---\n\nSource: https://www.imf.org/en/publications/wp/issues/2016/12/31/altruism-and-workers-remittances-evidence-from-selected-countries-in-the-middle-east-and-19178"
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    "Authors: Jacques Bouhga-Hagbe",
    "Published: May 1, 2006",
    "Series: IMF Working Papers",
    "DOI: https://doi.org/10.5089/9781451863901.001",
    "Workers' remittances have been playing an increasingly important role in the balance of payments of many countries and can significantly contribute to the strength of their external positions.",
    "Assessing the likely stability of remittance flows is a valuable input to the analysis of external vulnerabilities.",
    "The paper argues that \"altruism,\" as a motive to send money home, would contribute to the stability of remittance flows.",
    "Evidence suggests that altruism could have played an important role in the flow of remittances to Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Pakistan, and Tunisia in recent years.",
    "Uses a simple framework that relates workers' remittances to agricultural GDP.",
    "Agricultural GDP is used as an indicator of economic \"hardship\" in the home country.",
    "The relationship between remittances and agricultural GDP is used to infer the presence and role of altruistic motives in remittance behavior.",
    "Empirical evidence focuses on: Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Pakistan, and Tunisia.",
    "For these countries, the analysis suggests that altruism could have played an important role in recent remittance flows.",
    "Stability of remittance flows—when driven by altruism—can strengthen external positions and reduce external vulnerabilities.",
    "Incorporating likely stability of remittances into balance of payments analysis can improve assessments of external vulnerabilities.",
    "Subject: Exchange rates, External position, Outward remittances, Remittances, Service exports",
    "Keywords: exchange rate, money, money home, remittance, remittance flow, WP",
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