Migrants' Remittances in Romania and Balkan Countries: A Macro-Economic Perspective

The remittances of international migrants contribute to the well-being of their households of origin and also have an impact at macro-economic level. Out-migration is an effective means for low-income households to quickly overcome shortages of income. The sustenance of poor households might have been more difficult without such remittances. From a macro-perspective, remittances contribute to the equalization of the income distribution among households having out-migrants. This study examines the significance of selected macro-economic and demographic factors associated with remittance behaviour in Romania and several Balkan countries (Bulgaria, Turkey and Albania) as characterized by the propensity to remit and the amount remitted. The extent to which remittances affect the living standard of house-holds left behind is also appraised. In this respect we used macroeconomic datasets provided by World Bank and national statistical institutes. We develop a model to study the effects of migration and remittances on inequality in the origin communities, by employing regression analysis. Among the main findings is that the evolution of the regional Gross Domestic Product is positively related to the growth of the amount of remittances conveyed through the official network as part of the total amount of remittances.