Emigrants’ financial contribution to livelihoods in Lebanon

The study is based on the outcome of a survey carried out in 2012 based on a random sample of some 2000 households drawn from different parts of Lebanon.  The study noted that 55% of emigrants send remittances to their families, of whom, 25% do so on a regular basis.  The study also showed that 61.4% of families use these transfers for food expenses whilst 58.9% use them for accommodation expenses.
The study also included personal information drawn from the data of 7471 individuals and 3356 emigrants from these families. The study was categorized into 4 pillars, namely: 1) household characteristics and people who receive financial transfers, 2) emigrants and factors determining remittances to their families, 3) the impact of remittances of the livelihoods of recipient families, and 4) the impact of these remittances on families’ income and expenditure.  The study showed that small families are those who receive financial transfers most and its members are older with a higher percentage of women as well as a higher percentage of women headed households. It also noted that the proportion of women university graduates in families that receive remittances is higher than in those who do not.  The study also noted that men constitute a high proportion of emigrants but with an increasing trend of women emigrants as well, and while 62% of emigrant men send financial transfers to their families only 42% of women do so.