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Table 5: Remittance BeneficiaryGuatemala Honduras El Salvador Mexico EcuadorChildren 12% 16% 15% 11% 14%Sibling 42% 32% 31% 35% 28%Spouse 9% 9% 6% 9% 13%Parent 19% 27% 27% 19% 29%Other 19% 16% 22% 17% 15%Unknown/Left Blank0% 0% 0% 10% 1%Total 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%Source: Multilateral Investment Fund Inter-American Development Bank, Receptores de Remesas enMexico, Octubre 2003; Receptores de remesas en Guatemala, El Salvador y Honduras, September2003; Receptores de Remesas en Ecuador, May 2003, MIF-IADB/FOMIN-BID, Washington, D.C.In fact, according to a recent survey carried out in thirty states in the UnitedStates, immigrants’ commitment to supporting their families depends moreon the number of beneficiaries than on the income they earn in the UnitedStates. The figure below shows how the average amount sent by migrantsincreases with the number of people that will benefit from the remittance.Figure 5: Average Amount Sent and Number of Remittance Dependent4.2 Redistributive Effects314Latin America’s long-standing history of income inequality and theconsequent income misdistribution is a key reason for the region’s poverty.Remittances have become a coping mechanism to deal with this povertyand distorted income distribution. Indeed, a fundamental attribute ofremittances lies in their distributive nature; these monies go directly tomany of the homes (and more occasionally, communities) of low-incomeand poor citizens.