Resource information
This paper examines the determinants of
remittance behavior for Vietnam using data from the 2004
Vietnam Migration Survey on internal migrants. It considers
how, among other things, the vulnerability of a
migrant's life at the destination, their link to
relatives back home, and the time spent at the destination
affect remittances. The paper finds that migrants act as
risk-averse economic agents and send remittances back to the
household of origin as part of an insurance exercise in the
face of economic uncertainty. Remittances are also found to
be driven by a migrant's labor market earnings level.
The paper highlights the important role of remittances in
providing an effective means of risk-coping and mutual
support within the family.
