An important part of the World Bank's work on migration and remittances involves efforts to monitor and forecast remittance and migration flows, and to provide timely analysis on topics such as remittances, migration, and diaspora issues.

Migration & Remittances Factbook 2008

March 2008 | Press Release

A snapshot of migration and remittances data for all countries, regions and income groups of the world, compiled from available data from various sources.

Online Version in
English | Français | Español | العربية

Event Audio: The Role of Migration in Globalization & the Factbook Launch
March 19, 2008. Washington D.C.

Beyond Aid: New Sources and Innovative Mechanisms for Financing Development in Sub-Saharan Africa
April 2008

The development community has little choice but to continue to explore new sources of financing, innovative private-to-private sector solutions, and public-private partnerships to mobilize additional international financing. An analysis of country creditworthiness suggests that many countries in Sub-Saharan Africa may be more creditworthy than previously believed. Preliminary estimates suggest that Sub-Saharan African countries can potentially raise $1-3 billion by reducing the cost of international migrant remittances, $5-10 billion by issuing diaspora bonds, and $17 billion by securitizing future remittances and other future receivables.

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Feature Story: New Ways to Finance Development in Sub-Saharan Africa

Remittances Dispatch: US dollar depreciation and remittance flows to developing countries
March 2008

Currency appreciation and rising costs of living have eroded the purchasing power of recipients in the major remittance-receiving countries. Preliminary estimates suggest that in the Philippines, over 90 percent of the increase in remittances between 2004 and 2007 went simply towards preserving the purchasing power of recipients, while in Mexico and India, the increase in remittances after accounting for currency appreciation and domestic inflation was less than half of the increase in US dollar terms.

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Remittance Trends 2007
November 2007 | Press release

Recorded remittances to developing countries are estimated to reach $240 billion in 2007. The true size of remittances including unrecorded flows is even larger. The brief describes broad regional and country specific trends in remittance flows worldwide, and highlights some structural changes that will affect future flows. 

Brief in  English | French | Spanish | Arabic

International Migration and Technological Progress
February 2008

International migrants are an important channel for the transmission of technology and knowledge. The so-called “brain drain” associated with better educated citizens of developing countries working in high-income countries is acute in some developing countries. Developing countries benefit, however, from the temporary migration of managers and engineers; the return of well-educated emigrants; and contact with a technologically sophisticated diaspora. Remittances sent by migrants also promote technology diffusion by making investments more affordable. 

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Remittances, Consumption and Investment in Ghana
February 2008

This paper uses a new, nationally-representative household survey from Ghana to analyze within a rigorous econometric framework how the receipt of internal remittances (from within Ghana) and international remittances (from African or other countries) affects the marginal spending behavior of households on a broad range of consumption and investment goods, including food, education and housing. The findings show that households receiving remittances in Ghana do not spend more at the margin on food, education and housing than households with similar income levels and characteristics that do not receive remittances.

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Development Finance via Diaspora Bonds: Track Record and Potential
August 2007

A diaspora bond is a debt instrument issued by a country - or potentially, a sub-sovereign entity or a private corporation - to raise financing from its overseas diaspora. Israel and India have raised $35-40 billion using these bonds. Drawing on their experiences, this paper discusses the rationale, methodology, and factors affecting the issuance of diaspora bonds for raising external development finance.

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For other ongoing World Bank work on migration & and remittances, see  Related Links.