The Role of Migration and Remittances for the Poor in Growing India : Perspectives on Social Classes in Rural Bihar

KATO Mariko

doi:10.18999/ecos.60.2.45

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Description

This study aims to examine the current changes of domestic out-state migration and remittances for the poor rural households by focusing on the culturally and socially discriminated backwards, "Scheduled Castes" (SCs), during the period from 1990s to the late 2000s and by using National Sample Survey data on rural households. In 1993, the average per capita consumption expenditure (MPCE) of households with remittances from out-migrants was much lower than households without out-migrants. Conversely, in 2007-08, remittances by domestic out-migrants seem to improve economic conditions for economically and socially backward poorer households. This is because the MPCE of out-migrant households with remittances are significantly higher than the MPCE of households without out-migrant for all social classes in all India and notably in rural Bihar, a less developed state. Also, social distress could work as stronger push factor than rural distress because SCs in Bihar now face more opportunities and amount of remittances received from out-state male migrants. Thus, growing intra-state out-migration with remittances could play a possible role to induce upward mobility for the seriously discriminated people.

Journal

経済科学

経済科学 60 (2), 45-63, 2012-12-25

名古屋大学大学院経済学研究科