Migration and Remittances Effects on Consumption of the Poorest: The Mexican Case

In this work we present empirical evidence to test for the impact of remittances on expenditure patterns in rural Mexican households located in poor areas. Using data from the Progresa-Oportunidades program from 1997 to 2000, we develop an econometric approach that deals with the selection mechanism affecting migration decisions, to estimate the impact that the probability of receiving remittances, internal and external, has on expenditure patterns of rural poor households. Our findings indicate that there are significant effects on some expenditure categories. Household with higher probabilities of receiving internal and external remittances are more likely to spend in expenditure categories like physical and human investments.