The Impact of Remittances on Household Consumption and Economic Growth in Jordan

  • Authors

    • Dr. Hamza Mohammed Daher Mashaqbeh Independent Researcher in Economics
    https://doi.org/10.14419/cen6z790

    Received date: June 22, 2025

    Accepted date: July 31, 2025

    Published date: August 11, 2025

  • International Worker’s Migrant Remittances; expenditure; economic growth; Jordan; poverty; active; Foreign Money Transfer; sustainability; inequalities; Financial.
  • Abstract

    Like any other developing nation, money sending boosts the performance of the economy through providing household income and enhancing economic growth. This research examines the effects of these private capital inflows on the consumer expenditure and economic growth in Jordan; the country where it about 12.5% of the budget share. From the spending behavior, the study established that flexibility of part of the remittances to basic needs like food, shelter, and education lowers poverty levels, besides improving the quality of life. This paper shows that while the increase in consumption outweighs investment, the long-term developmental impact of remittance inflows is constrained. Also, the skewed distribution of the flow of remittances in the urban areas deepens the imbalance of economic development between urban and rural regions. In macro explanatory analysis, remittances have a positive impact on the GDP and a reduction in unemployment levels, and hence are more reliable than FDI or ODA. In this research, the twin effects of the remittance, the positive and the negative are unveiled. The study emphasises the need to design policies that support productive utilisation of the money sent by the workers to their families, educate households about proper usage, and fight for fair distribution to tap the potential for boosting the Jordan economy.

  • References

    1. Al-Assaf, G. (2022). The effect of international remittances on labour supply in Jordan: an empirical investigation. International Journal of Social Economics, 49(10), 1479-1496. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSE-06-2020-0384
    2. Al-Assaf, G., & Al-Malki, A. M. (2014). Modelling the Macroeconomic Determinants of Workers' Remittances: The Case of Jordan. International Journal of Economics and Financial Issues, 4(3), 514-526. https://www.econjournals.com/index.php/ijefi/article/view/800
    3. Alabdulrazag, B. A., & Alshogeathri, M. A. (2024). A nonlinear autoregressive distributed lag approach to remittances and access to financial inclu-sion in Jordan. South African Journal of Economic and Management Sciences, 27(1), 5133. http://doi.org/10.4102/sajems.v27i1.5133
    4. Alalawneh, M. M. (2023). “Trilogy” of FDI, Export, and Remittances: An Empirical Study on Jordan’s Economic Development. Modern Economy, 14(2), 112-121. https://doi.org/10.4236/me.2023.142009
    5. AlBataineh, A. (2024). The effect of remittances on poverty and economic growth in Jordan: evidence from augmented autoregressive distributed lag model. Technological and Economic Development of Economy, 30(6), 1709–1731. https://doi.org/10.3846/tede.2024.21845
    6. Bank, W. (2023). Personal remittances received (% of GDP). https://data.worldbank.org
    7. Bazillier, R. (2008). Core Labor Standards and Development: Impact on Long-Term Income. World Development, 36(1), 17-38. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2007.02.010
    8. Chami, R., Fullenkamp, C., & Jahjah, S. (2005). Are Immigrant Remittance Flows a Source of Capital for Development? IMF Staff Papers, 52(1), 55-81. https://doi.org/10.2307/30035948
    9. Claessens, S., Cassimon, D., & Van Campenhout, B. (2009). Evidence on Changes in Aid Allocation Criteria. The World Bank Economic Review, 23(2), 185-208. https://doi.org/10.1093/wber/lhp003
    10. Epstein, G. S., & Gang, I. N. (2010). Why Pay Taxes When No One Else Does? Review of Development Economics, 14(2), 374-385. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9361.2010.00559.x
    11. Germanoski, D., & Schumm, S. A. (1993). Changes in Braided River Morphology Resulting from Aggradation and Degradation. The Journal of Geology, 101(4), 451-466. https://doi.org/10.1086/648239
    12. Giuliano, P., & Ruiz-Arranz, M. (2009). Remittances, financial development, and growth. Journal of Development Economics, 90(1), 144-152. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jdeveco.2008.10.005
    13. Husein, J. G. (2018). Foreign aid, workers’ remittances and economic growth in Jordan. International Journal of Social Economics, 46(4), 532-548. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSE-06-2018-0293
    14. Imai, K. S., Gaiha, R., Ali, A., & Kaicker, N. (2014). Remittances, growth and poverty: New evidence from Asian countries. Journal of Policy Modeling, 36(3), 524-538. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpolmod.2014.01.009
    15. Jordan, C. B. o. (2023). Annual report on remittance inflows and GDP growth. https://www.cbj.gov.jo
    16. McIntyre, M. L., Tripe, D., & Zhuang, X. (2009). Testing for effective market supervision of New Zealand banks. Journal of Financial Stability, 5(1), 25-34. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfs.2008.07.002
    17. Meyer, D., & Shera, A. (2017). The impact of remittances on economic growth: An econometric model. EconomiA, 18(2), 147-155. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.econ.2016.06.001
    18. Orozco, M. (2009). The impact of remittances on poverty and development: A cross-country comparison. Inter-American Development Bank. https://www.iadb.org
    19. Ratha, D., De, S., & Schuettler, K. (2022). Migration and development brief 36: Recovery and resilience through remittances. World Bank. https://www.worldbank.org
    20. Robinson, B. E., Provencher, B., & Lewis, D. J. (2013). Managing Wild Resources: Institutional Choice and the Recovery of Resource Rent in Southwest China. World Development, 48, 120-132. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2013.04.004
    21. Shah, N. M. (1986). Foreign Workers in Kuwait: Implications for the Kuwaiti Labor Force. International Migration Review, 20(4), 815-832. https://doi.org/10.1177/019791838602000405
    22. Stark, O. (1988). Migration, Remittances, and the Family. Economic Development and Cultural Change, 36(3), 465-481. http://doi.org/10.1086/451670
    23. Thornton, R. L. (2012). HIV testing, subjective beliefs and economic behavior. Journal of Development Economics, 99(2), 300-313. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jdeveco.2012.03.001
    24. UNDP. (2023). Leveraging remittances for development in Jordan. United Nations Development Programme. https://www.undp.org
    25. Yang, D. (2008). International Migration, Remittances and Household Investment: Evidence from Philippine Migrants’ Exchange Rate Shocks. The Economic Journal, 118(528), 591-630. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-0297.2008.02134.x
  • Downloads

  • How to Cite

    Mashaqbeh, D. H. M. D. (2025). The Impact of Remittances on Household Consumption and Economic Growth in Jordan. International Journal of Accounting and Economics Studies, 12(4), 266-274. https://doi.org/10.14419/cen6z790