More remittances, fewer kids - Impact of remittances on fertility in Morocco

 

Abstract

This study examines the role played by remittances in Morocco's spectacular fertility decline over the 1975–2018 period. Using the autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) bounds approach, we find a significant negative association between remittances to the country and total fertility rate. This relationship is stronger in the long term than in the short term, suggesting that the human capital-accumulation channel is probably more important than the income effect. Findings of the study highlight the contribution of Morocco's large overseas migrant community to the country's demographic transition.

Co-authored with K. Kasmaoui, F. Makhlouf, and M-Y. Mughal.