S. IRUDAYA RAJAN

• EMIGRATION FROM AND REMITTANCES TO
INDIA
• MIGRATION AND REMITTANCES: KERALA
EXPERIENCE
• MACRO IMPACT

• High Level Committee on Indian Diaspora in
2001: 20 million (people of Indian origin and
Non-Resident Indians): 16 million
• Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs (MOIA) in its first annual report, 2004-2005 states that
Indian Diaspora is about 25 million.
• MOIA in its latest annual report, 2012-13: 25 million in 183 countries.

• High Level Committee, 2001
• Gulf: 3.3 million
• Europe: 0.2 million
• Asia and Pacific: 0.2 million
• Africa: 0.08 million
• Central and South America: 7307
• USA: 1.7 million; UK: 1.2 million; Canada: 0.9 million; South Africa 1.0 million (PIO+NRI)

Estimated Indian Migrant Stock, 2010
Destination Countries
Australia
Qatar
Sri Lanka
Kuwait
Oman
Canada
United Kingdom
Nepal
Bangladesh
Saudi Arabia
United States of America
United Arab Emirates
All Other Countries
Total
Number
209908
250649
336352
393210
447824
516508
657792
831432
1052775
1452927
1654272
2185919
1371256
11360823

• Based on our research in Kerala since 1998
• Our estimate: 12 million workers
• 6 million in the Gulf
• UAE No 1, followed by Saudi Arabia
• What do other data sources tell us about Gulf
Migration?
• As per the latest MOIA annual report, 97% of the ECR passport holders left for Gulf.

Trends in Workers Emigrated from India, 1985-2012
Emigration (in million)
0,9
0,8
0,7
0,6
0,5
0,4
0,3
0,2
0,1
0

Workers Granted Emigration Clearance by Major States, 1993-2012
250 000
200 000
150 000
100 000
50 000
0
Kerala Uttar Pradesh

Labour outflows from India by destination 1988-2012
400 000
350 000
300 000
250 000
200 000
150 000
100 000
50 000
0
Saudi Arabia UAE

80000
70000
60000
50000
40000
30000
20000
10000
0

6
5
4
3
2
1
0
Remittance flows to India as
Percentage of GDP 1990- 2012

•
Kerala Migration Survey 1998
•
Kerala Migration Survey, 2003
•
Kerala Migration Survey, 2007
•
Kerala Migration Survey, 2008
•
Kerala Migration Survey, 2011 www.cds.edu

3500000
3000000
2500000
2000000
1500000
1000000
500000
0
Emigrants, Return Emigrants and
Non-Resident Keralites, 1998-2011
EMI REM NRK
1998
2003
2008
2011

450000
400000
350000
300000
250000
200000
150000
100000
50000
0
Number of Emigrants by Districts in Kerala, 2011

Population of Kerala and Emigration by
Religion, 2011 ( in percent)

Number of Kerala Emigrants in the Gulf Countries, 1998-2011
2011 2008 2003 1998
1000000
900000
800000
700000
600000
500000
400000
300000
200000
100000
0
UAE Saudi Arabia Oman Kuwait Bahrain Qatar

Total Remittances for Kerala 1998-2013
Years Rs (Crores)
1998 13652
2003 18465
2008
2011
2013
43288
49695
60000

10000
9000
8000
7000
6000
5000
4000
3000
2000
1000
0
Total Remittances by Districts, 2011

Macro-Economic Impact of Remittances, 1998 - 2011
Indicators
Remittances
NSDP
Modified NSDP
Per Capita Income
Modified Per Capita Income
State Debt
Remittances as percent of NSDP (%)
Remittances as ratio of Revenue Receipt
Remittances as ratio of Transfer from Centre
Remittances as ratio of Government Expenditure
Remittances as ratio of State Debt
Remittances as ratio of Receipt from Cashew Export
Remittances as ratio of Receipt from Marine Export
1998
13652
53552
67204
16062
20157
15700
25.5
1.9
6.9
2.3
0.9
10.4
16.7
2011
49695
159144
208839
52084
67994
78239
31.2
1.6
6.2
2.2
0.6
30.4
29.8

HH
SC/ST
Nadar
Viswakarma
CSI
Ezhava
Muslim
Syrian Malabar Catholic
Nair
Latin Catholic
Jacobite Syrian
Marthoma Syrian
Orthodox Syrian
Malankara Syrian Catholic
Brahmin
Percent of Households with Emigrant and possession of Very Good or Luxurious houses
EMI
Nadar
SC/ST
Viswakarma
Ezhava
Muslim
Nair
Orthodox Syrian
Brahmin
Marthoma Syrian
Latin Catholic
CSI
Jacobite Syrian
Syrian Malabar Catholic
Malankara Syrian Catholic
0,0 10,0 20,0 30,0 40,0 50,0 60,0 70,0 80,0 90,0 0,0 10,0 20,0 30,0 40,0 50,0 60,0

Membership
Annual Savings and Investment
Annual
Savings
Annual
Investments
HHs with No Emigrants 16244 60304
HHs With Emigrants
Total
32809
21991
139919
91187

Monthly Food and Non Food expenses
Membership FOOD Non Food Expenses
HHs with No Emigrants
HHs With Emigrants
Total
2850
3256
2994
3144
4425
3597
5994
7681
6591

Annual Health and Education Expenses
Membership
Annual
Medical
Expenses
Annual Education
Expenses
HHs with No Emigrants 6469 10688
HHs With Emigrants
Total
12169
8538
19186
13933

•
Savings and Investment
•
Human Development (education and health)
•
Unemployment and Poverty
•
Standard of Living
•
Reduce Inequality

• Reductions in Fertility
• Political participation (financing political parties and elections)
• Philanthropy
• Women empowerment
• Knowledge and skills diffusion
• Entrepreneurship and work culture