Cátia Batista
Nova School of Business and Economics and NOVAFRICA, Nova University of Lisbon
Janis Umblijs
Ragnar Frisch Centre for Economic Research
ISSN 2183-0843
Working Paper No 1402
November 2014
Abstract
How do risk preferences affect migrant remittance behaviour? Examination of this relationship has only begun to be explored. Using a tailored representative survey of 1500 immigrants in the Greater Dublin Area, Ireland, we find a positive and significant relationship between risk aversion and migrant remittances. Risk-averse individuals are more likely to send remittances home and are, on average, likely to remit a higher amount, after controlling for a broad range of individual and group characteristics. The evidence we obtain is consistent with a “purchase of self-insurance” motive to remit in that we also find support for more remittances being sent by risk-averse immigrants who face higher wage risks and to individuals with more financial resources.
This paper was published as:
Batista, Cátia, and Umblijs, Janis. 2016. “Do Migrants Send Remittances as a way of Self-Insurance?” Oxford Economic Papers, Volume 68, Pages 108–130.
You can find the published version of the paper here.
