Does relative deprivation induce migration? Evidence from Sub‐Saharan Africa

Abstract

This paper revisits the decades-old relative deprivation theory of migration. In contrast to the traditional view which portrays absolute income maximization as a driver of migration, we test whether relative deprivation induces migration in the context of sub-Saharan Africa. Taking advantage of the internationally comparable longitudinal data from integrated household and agriculture surveys from Tanzania, Ethiopia, Malawi, Nigeria, and Uganda, we use panel fixed effects to estimate the effects of relative deprivation on migration. We find that a household's migration decision is based not only on its wellbeing status but also on the relative position of the household in the wellbeing distribution of the local community. Results are robust to alternative specifications including pooled data across the five countries and the 'migrationrelative deprivation' relationship is amplified in rural, agricultural, and male-headed households. Results imply a need to renew the discussion of relative deprivation as a cause of migration. Acknowledegment:JEL Codes: D31, O15 #450 Does relative deprivation induce migration? Evidence from Sub-Saharan Africa Abstract:This paper revisits the decades-old relative deprivation theory of migration. In contrast to the traditional view which portrays absolute income maximization as a driver of migration, we test whether relative deprivation induces migration in the context of sub-Saharan Africa. Taking advantage of the internationally comparable longitudinal data from integrated household and agriculture surveys from Tanzania, Ethiopia, Malawi, Nigeria, and Uganda, we use panel fixed effects to estimate the effects of relative deprivation on migration. We find that a household's migration decision is based not only on its wellbeing status but also on the relative position of the household in the wellbeing distribution of the local community. Results are robust to alternative specifications including pooled data across the five countries and the 'migrationrelative deprivation' relationship is amplified in rural, agricultural, and male-headed households.Results imply a need to renew the discussion of relative deprivation as a cause of migration. JEL codes: O15; J61; D31

Rural migration in sub-Saharan Africa: patterns, drivers and relation to structural transformation

“…This finding corroborates detailed analyses on various waves of LSMS by Kafle et al (2018) arguing that relative deprivation of wealth 26 is positively associated with migration and that migration increases with the absolute level of wealth. This suggests that both absolute and relative deprivation need to be considered at the same time to better understand the drivers of migration: households make a migration decision by considering both their relative deprivation as well as their absolute levels of income or wealth (Czaika and Quinn, 2006).…”

“…This implies that policies that aim to reduce inequalities and support safe, orderly and regular migration flows may need to pay attention to the socioeconomic structure of the population for better results. Policies that account for the demographic and occupational heterogeneity and create opportunities for youth, rural residents, and farmers in their locality may do far better than those that target the general population (Kafle et al, 2018). Using binary logistic regression (BLR) with eleven explanatory variables commonly used in the literature (see their definition in Annex 3), Table 5 presents the odds ratios that allow direct interpretation of determinants and drivers of migration.…”

Determinants of migration among rural youth throughout the world

“…Second, it directly examines the relative deprivation hypothesis, using the measure first developed by Yitzhaki (1979). Whereas this hypothesis has been previously tested (Stark and Taylor, 1991;Kafle, Benfica, and Winters, 2018), this paper tests it for a much larger set of countries than before, with better control for the flow of migrants out of rural areas.…”

IFAD Research Series 55 Rural Youth: Determinants of Migration Throughout the World

“…First, the paper measures whether or not relative deprivation affects youth migration, using the measure initially developed by Yitzhaki (1979). Whereas this hypothesis has been tested for migration in general previously in the literature (Stark and Taylor, 1991;Kafle et al, 2018), this paper tests this specific hypothesis both among youth and for a much larger set of countries than before. Second, in panel data the paper considers a proxy variable for health of older household residents; the proxy is whether a household member dies before the following survey round.…”

“…For example, theStark and Taylor (1991) paper uses 423 observations in total, and their statistical analysis does not account for the sample design. Recently,Kafle et al (2018) study migration and relative deprivation in sub-Saharan Africa, but use a stock measure of migration and do not focus on youth migration, and, though they generally find a positive relationship, there is a remaining concern about potential reverse causality in their analysis.…”