The Impact of Remittances on Poverty and Inequality in Ghana

Adams, Richard H., Jr. ; Cuecuecha, Alfredo ; Page, John

World Bank, Washington, DC

关键词: ACCESS TO RESOURCES;    ACCOUNTING;    AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS;    AMOUNT OF REMITTANCES;    AVERAGE VALUE OF REMITTANCES;   

DOI  :  10.1596/1813-9450-4732
RP-ID  :  WPS4732

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: World Bank Open Knowledge Repository

【 摘 要 】

This paper uses a new, 2005/06nationally-representative household survey to analyze theimpact of internal remittances (from Ghana) andinternational remittances (from African and other countries)on poverty and inequality in Ghana. To control for selectionand endogeneity, it uses a two-stage multinomial logit modelwith instrumental variables focusing on variations inmigration networks and remittances among variousethno-religious groups in Ghana. The paper finds that bothinternal and international remittances reduce the level,depth, and severity of poverty in Ghana. However, the sizeof the poverty reduction depends on the type of remittancesreceived. In general, poverty in Ghana is reduced more byinternational than internal remittances. For householdsreceiving international remittances, the level of povertyfalls by 88.1 percent with the inclusion of remittances; forhouseholds receiving internal remittances, poverty falls by69.4 percent with the inclusion of remittances. The paperalso finds that both types of remittances increase incomeinequality in Ghana. For households with internalremittances, the inclusion of remittances causes the Ginicoefficient to rise by 4 percent, and for households withinternational remittances, the inclusion of remittancescauses the Gini to increase by 17.4 percent.