Does relative deprivation induce migration?: evidence from Sub-Saharan Africa

This analysis revisits the decades-old relative deprivation theory of migration. In contrast to the traditional view that migration is driven by absolute income maximization, we test whether relative deprivation induces migration in the context of sub-Saharan Africa. Taking advantage of the internat...

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Main Authors: Kafle, Kashi, Benfica, Rui, Winters, P.
Format: Journal Article
Language:Inglés
Published: Wiley 2020
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/107397
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author Kafle, Kashi
Benfica, Rui
Winters, P.
author_browse Benfica, Rui
Kafle, Kashi
Winters, P.
author_facet Kafle, Kashi
Benfica, Rui
Winters, P.
author_sort Kafle, Kashi
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description This analysis revisits the decades-old relative deprivation theory of migration. In contrast to the traditional view that migration is driven by absolute income maximization, 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 decisions. Using per capita consumption expenditure and multidimensional wealth index as well-being measures, we find that a household’s migration decision is based not only on its absolute well-being level but also on the relative position of the household in the well-being distribution of the community in which it resides. We also discover that the effect of relative deprivation on migration is amplified in rural, agricultural, and male-headed households. Results are robust to alternative specifications including the use of Hausman Taylor Instrumental Variable (HTIV) estimator and pooled data across the five countries. Results confirm that the “migration-relative deprivation” relationship also holds in the context of sub-Saharan Africa. We argue that policies designed to check rural–urban migration through rural transformation and poverty reduction programs should use caution because such programs can increase economic inequality, which further increases migration flow.
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spelling CGSpace1073972025-04-08T18:26:37Z Does relative deprivation induce migration?: evidence from Sub-Saharan Africa Kafle, Kashi Benfica, Rui Winters, P. expenditure wealth models economic aspects surveys consumption socioeconomic environment living standards migrants migration deprivation poverty household consumption depreciation communities This analysis revisits the decades-old relative deprivation theory of migration. In contrast to the traditional view that migration is driven by absolute income maximization, 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 decisions. Using per capita consumption expenditure and multidimensional wealth index as well-being measures, we find that a household’s migration decision is based not only on its absolute well-being level but also on the relative position of the household in the well-being distribution of the community in which it resides. We also discover that the effect of relative deprivation on migration is amplified in rural, agricultural, and male-headed households. Results are robust to alternative specifications including the use of Hausman Taylor Instrumental Variable (HTIV) estimator and pooled data across the five countries. Results confirm that the “migration-relative deprivation” relationship also holds in the context of sub-Saharan Africa. We argue that policies designed to check rural–urban migration through rural transformation and poverty reduction programs should use caution because such programs can increase economic inequality, which further increases migration flow. 2020-05 2020-03-06T08:15:24Z 2020-03-06T08:15:24Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/107397 en https://doi.org/10.22004/ag.econ.276981 Limited Access Wiley Kafle, Kashi; Benfica, R.; Winters, P. 2020. Does relative deprivation induce migration? evidence from Sub-Saharan Africa. American Journal of Agricultural Economics, 102(3):999-1019. doi: 10.1002/ajae.12007
spellingShingle expenditure
wealth
models
economic aspects
surveys
consumption
socioeconomic environment
living standards
migrants
migration
deprivation
poverty
household consumption
depreciation
communities
Kafle, Kashi
Benfica, Rui
Winters, P.
Does relative deprivation induce migration?: evidence from Sub-Saharan Africa
title Does relative deprivation induce migration?: evidence from Sub-Saharan Africa
title_full Does relative deprivation induce migration?: evidence from Sub-Saharan Africa
title_fullStr Does relative deprivation induce migration?: evidence from Sub-Saharan Africa
title_full_unstemmed Does relative deprivation induce migration?: evidence from Sub-Saharan Africa
title_short Does relative deprivation induce migration?: evidence from Sub-Saharan Africa
title_sort does relative deprivation induce migration evidence from sub saharan africa
topic expenditure
wealth
models
economic aspects
surveys
consumption
socioeconomic environment
living standards
migrants
migration
deprivation
poverty
household consumption
depreciation
communities
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/107397
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