The Profile and Experience of Return Migrants : Empirical Evidence from Bulgaria

The paper provides empirical evidence on the experience of Bulgarian return migrants on the basis of a representative survey among Bulgarian households conducted at the end of 2005. It makes an attempt to assess the levels of expenditures and savings of Bulgarian return migrants during the five years period after the last census in 2001. Savings are assumed to approximate the amount of remittances and the estimates obtained are compared to the current official data recorded by Bulgarian central bank in the balance of payments. The main characteristics of the socio-demographic profile, spending and saving propensity of return migrants are also enlightened. Some issues related to the main usages of remittances during the period of study are considered in regard to their potential impact on the economic status of Bulgarian households