Remittances, education and health in Sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract

This study investigates the effects of remittances on education and health outcomes using a 5-year interval data on 46 Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries from 1975 to 2014. Employing system GMM, remittances were found to significantly improve education and health in SSA. It was also established that improving education impacts positively on health and the reverse was also true.

Keywords:

• remittances
• education
• health
• Sub-Saharan Africa

Public Interest Statement

Significant proportions of the population from Sub-Saharan Africa are found in places other than their country of origin. They do migrate for varied reasons and one of such is to search for ‘better’ opportunities. These migrants sometimes send monies (remittances) back home to families and friends. And the remittances are spent on various items including food, education, health, purchases of land and payment of loans. This paper thus investigates whether the remittances contribute significantly to the development of education and health in Sub-Saharan Africa. This will be an attempt to explore alternative income sources necessary to deepen investment in education and health in the region

Correction statement

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Notes

1. Within migration (intra-regional migration) to mean movements confined to the geographical boundaries of the region.

2. Between migration (international migration) to mean movements beyond the geographical boundaries of the region.

3. Regional classification based on the World Bank’s classification of the world.

4. UNICEF––United Nations Children’s Fund.

5. Gyimah-Brempong and Asiedu (2015) distinguished between sources of remittances. Those received from within Ghana (internal) due to internal migration are termed domestic remittances and international remittances are those from outside Ghana (external).

6. Deaths of children under 1 year of age per 1000 live births.

7. Deaths of children under 5 years of age per 1000 live births.

8. Planning Institute of Jamaica.

Additional information

Funding

The author received no direct funding for this research.

Notes on contributors

Komla Amega

Komla Amega holds an MSc degree in economics from the University of the West Indies, St Augustine Campus, Trinidad and Tobago. He had his undergraduate studies at the University of Ghana, where he obtained a BA degree in economics with geography and resource development. He has experience in undertaking academic, market and social researches. His research interest covers education, health, behavioral economics and policy analysis.