A Spatial Approach to the Link between Remittances and Regional Growth in Mexico

Résumé 0

This article studies the link between the inflow of remittances from international migrants and Mexico's regional growth in recent years. The results highlight the presence of a strong polarization in the regional behavior of the remittances/GDP ratio. The article also shows that this polarization is spatially associated with the economic growth of states. It specifically describes a recently observed process: a loss of dynamism in the growth of the remittances/GDP ratio within the region that has had a long history of migration and the presence of high growth rates in the remittances/GDP ratio in much of southern Mexico. This suggests that remittances might be playing an anti-cyclical role. However, once we use an econometric spatial model to explain the states' economic growth, there is a lack of solid evidence indicating that remittances are contributing significantly to growth at the state level.