title: Do migrants' remittances decline over time? Evidence from Tongans and Western Samoans in Australia.
abstract: "There is concern that Pacific Island economies dependent on remittances of migrants will endure foreign exchange shortages and falling living standards as remittance levels fall because of lower migration rates and the belief that migrants' willingness to remit declines over time. The empirical validity of the remittance-decay hypothesis has never been tested. From survey data on Tongan and Western Samoan migrants in Sydney [Australia], this paper estimates remittance functions using multivariate regression analysis. It is found that the remittance-decay hypothesis has no empirical validity, and migrants are motivated by factors other than altruistic family support, including asset accumulation and investment back home."
mesh_terms: D001315:Australia; D001519:Behavior; D003625:Data Collection; D003710:Demography; D019049:Developed Countries; D003906:Developing Countries; D004467:Economics; D004641:Emigration and Immigration; D005376:Financial Management; D007449:Investments; D009042:Motivation; D010139:Pacific Islands; D011114:Polynesia; D011153:Population; D011157:Population Dynamics; D011584:Psychology; D012106:Research; D018947:Samoa; D012494:Sampling Studies; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014058:Tonga; D014171:Transients and Migrants
keywords: Australia; Behavior; Demographic Factors; Developed Countries; Developing Countries; Economic Factors; Financial Activities; International Migration; Investments; Microeconomic Factors; Micronesia-polynesia; Migrants; Migration; Motivation; Oceania; Polynesia; Population; Population Dynamics; Psychological Factors; Remittances; Research Methodology; Samoa; Sampling Studies; Standard Of Living; Studies; Surveys; Tonga