摘要：This paper explores the effect of remittances across the distribution of income. Based on
a panel of 46 countries that covers the period between 1970 and 2000, we find that the effect
of remittances is non-monotone across the distribution of income and strongest in low
income countries. The impact of remittances is positive and decreasing in income for the
bottom 70 percent of the population, and negative and increasing in income in the top 20
percent of the population. All else equal, remittances decrease inequality as their effect is
mostly felt among the poor and they are negatively related to the income of the rich. We
estimate that for low income countries a 1 percent increase in remittances would increase the
first decile’s income by approximately 0.43 percent, while the same change would increase
the seventh decile’s income by only 0.04 percent. In contrast, a 1 percent increase in
remittances is associated with a 0.10 percent decrease in the income of the top 10 percent of
the population.
