Evaluating the Impact of Remittances on Human Capital Investment in the Kyrgyz Republic

Remittances from overseas can encourage human capital investment, but empirical studies have shown mixed evidence. This paper uses a 5-year panel dataset in the Kyrgyz Republic to examine the impact of remittances on the human capital formation of school-age children. After correcting for endogeneities with instrumental variables, the study finds that remittances have negative impacts on educational achievement. Extended hours of farm labor by children and increased expenditure on durable goods are identified among recipient households. To mitigate negative effects of remittances on children’s learning, the findings call for actions such as financial literacy education and better monitoring of farm labor hours of school-age children.