migration and remittances

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RCRC

Caucasus Research Resource Centers (CRRC)-Armenia

Migration and Remittances:

Some findings based on CRRC DI Surveys

Yerevan-Washington May 18, 2008 crrc@crrc.am

Heghine Manasyan

Arsen Aslanyan

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RCRC

Outline

• Caucasus Research Resource Centers (CRRC)

• CRRC Data Initiative• Migration data: General overview • Remittances: who, how often, for

what, etc.

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RCRC

What is CRRC?

• Resource and training centers’ network established in Baku, Tbilisi, and Yerevan to strengthen Social Sciences in the South Caucasus

• Partnership between the Carnegie Corporation of New York, the Eurasia Partnership Foundation, and the local Universities

• and …. one of AIPRG strong partners

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RCRC

What does CRRC aim to achieve? • Increase accessibility of high-quality research

resources;• Strengthen domestic capacity;• Increase dialogue and collaboration between

researchers and policy practitioners.

What does CRRC offer? • Library and reading room, IT Lab, statistical

software and databases;• Data Initiative surveys;• Methodological trainings and lectures, conferences,

roundtables;• Fellowship program, mentorship program;• New incentives for research-policy dialogue,

networking and collaboration.

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RCRC CRRC Data Initiative: Introduction• Annual household surveys starting from year 2004 to collect

data on the developments in South Caucasus Countries;

• Questionnaire content: Demography, Education, Employment, Migration, Health, Social Institutions, Social Capital, Politics, Crime, and Economic Condition;

• Sampling: Multistage cluster sampling with three disaggregated populations: capital city, other cities, and rural;

• DI 2007 survey:

8,053 households (and approximately the same number of individuals) were surveyed in the South Caucasus countries:

2,514 in Armenia

2,148 in Azerbaijan

3,391 in Georgia

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RCRC The DI 2004-2007 Survey Samples

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RCRC

• The questionnaire was developed by the teams of researchers from three SC countries, and it has been revised

year after year;

• In 2007 the questionnaire had significant changes with the introduction of new questions and elimination of some

ineffective questions, and it was split into two parts - individual and household questionnaires;

• The survey gathers information about:

HH characteristics (HH size, socio-demographics of household members, economic status/conditions, as well

information on current/past migrant members), Individuals sampled within those households (their

employment, education, health, political views, social capital, etc.).

CRRC Data Initiative: Survey Instrument

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RCRC Main changes made in the “Migration”

block of Questions in 2004-2007

•The term “Migration” refered to both external and internal migration during DI 2007 survey;

•The period of migration under the study was changed from “during past 3 years” to “since 1991;”

•The questions on migration reasons, employment status and employment spheres during migration were removed in 2007;

•The questions on remittances and their importance were added in 2007

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RCRC Migration characteristics: General overview

• Why? Lack of jobs (slides 10 and 11, DI-2006)

- From Unemployment to Employment in Private sector (Armenia)

- From Unemployment to Self-employment abroad (Azerbaijan)

• How many?

• Intensity of flows over time: Back?

• Where (destination): Russia?

• Who? Men aged 30-50?

• For what period?

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RCRC Migration 2006: Adjusting LM conditions?

(% of total migrants aged 16 and higher)

5769

79

2921

2014 4

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Yerevan Other cities Rural

Armenia

The country does nothave any future

Personal reasons

Could not get a jobcorresponding tohis/ her qualifications

Money s/ he wasearning was notenough for the HH

Was unable to get ajob

Reasons for leaving the home country

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RCRCMigration 2006: Migrants’ occupation before and

during migration (% of total migrants aged 16 and higher)

15

74

12 7

2613

8

12

8 14

515

3

24

63

8

19

4649

375

5 53

11

5

11 1223

404

5 6

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%B

efo

re

Aft

er

Bef

ore

Aft

er

Bef

ore

Aft

er

Armenia Azerbaijan Georgia

Other

Student

Unemployed andlooking for work

Self-employed, withoutemployees

Employee in stateorganization/company/enterpriseEmployee in privateorganization/company/enterprise

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RCRC Data from DI 2007 survey

Current Migrants: Household members who have left their households (either permanently or temporarily) for more than 3 months since 1991 but have not returned home.

Return Migrants: Household members who have been abroad for more than 3 months during 1991-2007 and returned home.

Definitions

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2017 17 18

6

11

15

108 7 7 7

Yer

evan

Oth

eru

rban

Ru

ral

All

cou

ntr

y

Bak

u

Oth

eru

rban

Ru

ral

All

cou

ntr

y

Tb

ilis

i

Oth

eru

rban

Ru

ral

All

cou

ntr

y

Armenia Azerbaijan Georgia

Return Migrants 2007: Share of households who had former (return) migrants

(% of total HHs)

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RCRC Return Migration: Share of household members

who have been abroad for more than 3 months during 1991-2007 and returned

home

5.5%

3.6%

1.0% 1.2% 1.4%2.0% 1.8%

1.3%

7.0%

Yere

van

Oth

er

urb

an

Rura

l

Baku

Oth

er

urb

an

Rura

l

Tbilis

i

Oth

er

urb

an

Rura

l

Armenia Azerbaijan Georgia

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1

23 22

31

23

0

11

16

33

40

<1990 1991-1995 1996-2000 2001-2005 2006-2007

Year last left

Year last returned

Return Migration: Share of household members who have left their HHs and came back

(% within groups)

16

RCRC Return Migration: Destination countries for those who

have been abroad for more than 3 months during 1991-2007 and returned home

6985

49

18

4

25

4

7

8 918

Armenia Azerbaijan Georgia

Other foreigncountry/Differentregion

Western Europe

FSU, excludingRF

Russia

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RCRC Return Migration: How long did the former

migrants stay abroad? (% of total)

21 1727

23 2317

16 26 15

2217

16

19 16 24

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Armenia Azerbaijan Georgia

4 years and more2-4 years1-2 years6 -12 months3-6 months

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RCRC Current Migrants: Share of HHs having at least

one member abroad as of October 2007

9%

15%11%

3%

7% 6%

3%

7%

3%

Yerevan Otherurban

Rural Baku Otherurban

Rural Tbilisi Otherurban

Rural

Armenia Azerbaijan Georgia

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RCRC Current Migrants: Number of Current Migrants

per 100 HHs (October 2007)

29

7 9

34

8

14

23

86

Armenia Azerbaijan Georgia

RuralOther urbanCapital

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RCRC Current migrants: Demographic profile

(Armenia, % of all migrants abroad in 2007)

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RCRC Year of last emigration of current migrants

(% of all current migrants)

0.3%2.7%

10.6%

4.0%

10.9%

19.7%

9.8%

20.4%

29.9%

38.7%

33.4%

39.5%43.4%

4.0%

32.5%

Armenia Azerbaijan Georgia

before 1991

1991-1995

1996-2000

2001-2005

After 2005

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Work and

Study

Work

Neither work nor study

Study 67%

25%

8%

1%

Current Migration: What do Armenian migrants do abroad? (% of all migrants abroad in 2007)

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Remittances

Important? Sustainable?

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RCRC Return Migration: Share of former/return

migrants who financially supported their HHs (share of total in respective groups, %)

52

11

7684

66

1926

9

Armenia Azerbaijan Georgia

Studied abroad

Worked abroad

Neither studied norworked abroad

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RCRC Do the Migrants Support their HHs in home

country? (% of all)

13

36

21

40

43

32

47

19

46

Armenia Azerbaijan Georgia

No support

Non-monetarysupport only

Monetary supportonly

Both monetary andnon-monetarysupport

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RCRC

14.7

6.6

12.3

42.8

23.6

At least once a month

Approximately every 2-3months

Approximately every 4-6months

Less frequently thanevery 4-6 months

Irregularly/Difficult to say

How often do Armenian Migrants Support their HHs Back Home? (% of all)

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RCRC

11

23 23

21

5

34

32 1

18-25 26-35 36-45 46-55 56-65

Male

Female

Age and gender of remittance senders (Armenia, % of all remittance senders)

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RCRC How do the migrants send money back home?

(%)

47

23

30

38

39

42

23

59

25

8

22

9

2

9

11

Armenia

Azerbaijan

Georgia

Money Transfer Organizations

Bank transfer

Through friends /acquaintances/ relatives.

Brought personally by HH member

Through courier / bus driver / agent.

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RCRC

11.1

15.0

9.5

4.45.6 5.7

2.9

7.3

3.0

Rural Urban Capital Rural Urban Capital Rural Urban Capital

Armenia Azerbaijan Georgia

Share of HHs receiving remittances from their members abroad

(% of all HHs in each strata)

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RCRC Current Migrants’ and remitters' relation

to the HH head (% of total)

53

17

12

8

5

3

2

60

23

5

4

5

2

1

0 10 20 30 40 50 60

Son/ Daughter

Spouse

Grandchild

Son/ Daughter in law

Mother/ Father (incl. in law)

Sister/ Brother

Other person RemittersMigrants

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RCRC Importance of contributions received from

household members currently living abroad to those households’ well-being (share of total, %)

57

2331

29

41

49

9

3112

5 5 9

Armenia Azerbaijan Georgia

Not veryimportant

Moderatelyimportant

Important

Vital

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RCRC Importance of Remittances Received from

Current Migrants for Armenian HHs (share of total, %)

55 5853

29 2732

11 86

3 4 9

Rural Other urban Capital

Not very important

Moderately important

Important

Vital

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RCRC

2439

21

8

14

13

20

25

23

16

11

15

32

1128

Armenia Azerbaijan Georgia

76-100

51-75

26-50

1-25

0

Share of received

remittances in the annual HH income in 2006

(%)

Share of remittances in the annual HH income among HHs receiving remittances in

2006

(% of all HHs receiving remittances)

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RCRC

8092

36

4

15

2175

23

14

7

Armenia Azerbaijan Georgia

Middle East, excludingTurkey

Other foreigncountry/ Different region

North America

Eastern Europe

Turkey

Former Soviet Union,excluding Russia

Western Europe

Russia

Countries where the remittances are sent from: looking for diversification!

(share of all remittance senders, %)

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RCRC How do HHs spend money received from their

migrant members? (%, three possible items)

91

87

86

55

65

45

26

18

25

17

9

20

6

15

9

4

23

6

8

4

Armenia

Azerbaijan

Georgia

FoodClothingEducationMedical care

Housing construction / RenovationSavingsOther

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RCRC

12 17 13

88 83 87

Armenia Azerbaijan Georgia

No

Yes

Do HHs share remittances received from their migrant HH members with other HHs?

(%)

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RCRC

3.1

3.1

15.6

78.1

25% and less

26% - 50%

51% - 75%

76% - 100%

What percent of those remittances did Armenian HHs share with other HHs? (%

of HHs)

Share of remittances

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RCRC

154 7

12

613

14

11

25

52

55

37

6

2418

Armenia Azerbaijan Georgia

Don't know

Defenitely not

Probably not

Probably

Definitely

Migration potential: “If the socioeconomic conditions in your country do not improve in the next three years, will you migrate from the country?” (% of all, year 2006)

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RCRC

Visit www.crrccenters.org --> Data Initiative Project to find:

• Survey datasets (in SPSS format)• Questionnaires and show cards (in 4

languages)• Survey methodology document• SPSS online crash course

Want to know more?

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Thank you!