Remitting Behaviour of Turkish Migrants: Evidence from Household Data in Germany

Abstract

This paper provides an empirical analysis of the remittances of Turkish migrants using data from 590 households in Berlin. It distinguishes between migrants who do and do not intend to return to Turkey and the different uses of remittances. The findings show that those migrants who intend to return remit mostly for reasons of self-interest, while those with no such intention remit for reasons of tempered altruism. There is no evidence of pure altruism in any of the samples. In addition, remitters are more likely to increase the amount of remittances where they are to be spent on education and investment. The same relationship does not hold for basic needs.

Keywords: remittances, household data, Turkish migrants, IV regression