Drivers and dynamics of internal and international remittances
Mathias Czaikaa, John Spray
This article analyses whether and how intra-household remittance volumes vary with the length of a migrant's absence, and whether the drivers and dynamics of remittance decay depend on the migrant's destination. We address these questions by using data from the 64th round of the Indian National Sample Survey, conducted between July 2007 and June 2008. We find that the average intra-household remittance function follows a curvilinear trajectory that is best approximated by a quartic (M-shaped) specification. The volatility of intra-household remittances is distinct across migration destinations, with international remittance flows being more volatile than internal intra-state or inter-state flows.