Asymmetric relationship between crude oil price and remittance inflows in a small island economy: Evidence from non-linear ARDL approach

Abstract

Sri Lanka's economy heavily depends on remittance inflows to finance its import of essential and intermediate goods. A decline in remittances could severely limit the country's import capacity, affecting overall economic growth and development. This study investigates the impact of crude oil prices on Sri Lankan remittance inflows from 1980 to 2020, while accounting for per capita GDP, financial development, and exchange rates as additional explanatory variables. Employing a nonlinear autoregressive distributed lag (NARDL) model, the analysis reveals significant asymmetric effects of oil price shocks on remittance inflows. In the short run, positive oil price shocks lead to increased remittance inflows, whereas negative shocks reduce them. However, in the long run, both positive and negative oil price shocks have an adverse impact on remittance inflows. Furthermore, changes in per capita GDP, financial development, and exchange rates also play a crucial role in influencing remittance inflows. The findings highlight Sri Lanka's vulnerability to global oil market fluctuations and suggest policy measures to mitigate these risks. Key recommendations include diversifying labor export markets, enhancing financial infrastructure, and reducing dependence on remittance inflows to sustain import capacity and promote long-term economic resilience.