Remittances and economic growth: What lessons for the CEMAC zone?

Abstract

To the question of what lessons can be drawn from the relationship between migrant remittances and economic growth, this article provides an answer based on econometric evidence, using data from a sample of six countries belonging to the CEMAC zone, over the period 1990–2018. Using the PSTR 2 and GMM 3 models, we obtain two main results. First, there is a non-linear relationship between migrant remittances and economic growth that translates into the existence of two regimes, thus, confirming the existence of a threshold effect. Second, under the first regime, remittances have a positive and significant impact on economic growth, while under the second regime this impact is negative. The results suggest that the non-linear relationship between remittances and economic growth depends mainly on trade openness, private investment and political stability.