Economics Program and OSUN's Economic Democracy Initiative Presents

Impact of Migration and Migrant Remittances on Elders Left Behind: Case of Kyrgyzstan

The purpose of this research is to study the effect of migration and remittances on the health of elderly parents left behind using household survey panel data for Kyrgyzstan. Aging population is a significant global trend with important socio-economic implications worldwide. Kyrgyzstan is one of the top migrant-sending countries in the world with remittances comprising more than 30 percent of its GDP. The limited public pension benefits, dependence of elderly  on household arrangements and support from adult children, while most children being labor migrants abroad  makes Kyrgyzstan an important case study.

Theoretically, there are different channels through which migration and remittances could affect elderly and the overall impact is uncertain. On the one hand, remittances that households left behind could improve their standards of living, allowing for better nutrition, increased spending on health check-ups and access to better healthcare services, thus contributing positively to health outcomes of elders. On the other hand, with adult children working abroad, elderly parents may have to look after grandchildren, be involved in more housework and additional farm work.  Elderly parents may lack physical and emotional support of their adult children and experience negative health consequences from migration of their children. Thus, the impact of migration and remittances on elderly health outcomes is ambiguous, demands empirical investigation.
 

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For more information, call 845-758-6822, or e-mail [email protected].

Time: 5:00 pm EST/GMT-5

Location: Olin 102

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