Cash Transfers and Temptation Goods : A Review of Global Evidence

Evans, David K. ; Popova, Anna

World Bank, Washington, DC

关键词: AID AGENCIES;    BANK ACCOUNT;    BENEFICIARIES;    BENEFICIARY;    CAPITAL INVESTMENT;   

DOI  :  10.1596/1813-9450-6886
RP-ID  :  WPS6886

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: World Bank Open Knowledge Repository

【 摘 要 】

Cash transfers have been demonstrated toimprove education and health outcomes and alleviate povertyin various contexts. However, policy makers and others oftenexpress concern that poor households will use transfers tobuy alcohol, tobacco, or other "temptation goods."The income effect of transfers will increase expenditures ifalcohol and tobacco are normal goods, but this may be offsetby other effects, including the substitution effect, theeffect of social messaging about the appropriate use oftransfers, and the effect of shifting dynamics inintra-household bargaining. The net effect is ambiguous.This paper reviews 19 studies with quantitative evidence onthe impact of cash transfers on temptation goods, as well as11 studies that surveyed the number of respondents whoreported they used transfers for temptation goods. Almostwithout exception, studies find either no significant impactor a significant negative impact of transfers on temptationgoods. In the only (two, non-experimental) studies withpositive significant impacts, the magnitude is small. Thisresult is supported by data from Latin America, Africa, andAsia. A growing number of studies from a range of contextstherefore indicate that concerns about the use of cashtransfers for alcohol and tobacco consumption are unfounded.