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Brain drain in developing countries

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Author Info
Frederic, DOCQUIER (UNIVERSITE CATHOLIQUE DE LOUVAIN, Department of Economics)
Olivier, LOHEST
Abdeslam, MARFOUK

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Abstract

Relying on an original data set on international migration by educational attainment for 1990 and 2000, we analyze the determinants of the brain drain from developing countries. We start from a simple decomposition of the brain drain in two multiplicative components, the degree of openess of sending countries (as measured by their average emigration rate) and the schooling gap (as measured by the relative education level of emigrants compared to natives). Using various regression models, we put forward the determinants of the components and explain cross-country differences in skilled migration. unsurprisingly, the brain drain is strong in small countries which are not too distant from the major OECD regions, which share colonial links with OECD countries and which send most of their migrants to host countries where quality-selective immigration programs exist. More interestingly, the brain drain increases with political instability and the degree of fractionalization at origin; it globally decreases with nativesÕhuman capital.

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Publisher Info
Paper provided by Université catholique de Louvain, Département des Sciences Economiques in its series Discussion Papers (ECON - Département des Sciences Economiques) with number 2007004.

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Length: 28
Date of creation: 15 Mar 2007
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Handle: RePEc:ctl:louvec:2007004

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Related research
Keywords: International migration; Brain drain; Human capital; Developping countries;

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Find related papers by JEL classification:
F22 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - International Migration
O15 - Economic Development, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration
J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity

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References listed on IDEAS
Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
  1. Antecol, Heather & Cobb-Clark, Deborah A. & Trejo, Stephen, 2001. "Immigration Policy and the Skills of Immigrants to Australia, Canada, and the United States," IZA Discussion Papers 363, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
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  2. Docquier, Frederic & Rapoport, Hillel, 2004. "Skilled migration: the perspective of developing countries," Policy Research Working Paper Series 3382, The World Bank. [Downloadable!]
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  3. Robert J. Barro & Jong-Wha Lee, 2000. "International Data on Educational Attainment Updates and Implications," NBER Working Papers 7911, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  4. Maurice Schiff, 2005. "Brain Gain: Claims about Its Size and Impact on Welfare and Growth Are Greatly Exaggerated," IZA Discussion Papers 1599, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
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  5. Chiswick, Barry R & Miller, Paul W, 1995. "The Endogeneity between Language and Earnings: International Analyses," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 13(2), pages 246-88, April. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  6. Stark, Oded & Helmenstein, Christian & Prskawetz, Alexia, 1997. "A brain gain with a brain drain," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 55(2), pages 227-234, August. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  7. Christopher F Baum & Mark E. Schaffer & Steven Stillman, 2002. "Instrumental variables and GMM: Estimation and testing," United Kingdom Stata Users' Group Meetings 2003 02, Stata Users Group. [Downloadable!]
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  8. Beine, Michel & Docquier, Frederic & Rapoport, Hillel, 2001. "Brain drain and economic growth: theory and evidence," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 64(1), pages 275-289, February. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  9. Simon Commander & Mari Kangasniemi & L. Alan Winters, 2004. "The Brain Drain: A Review of Theory and Facts," Brussels Economic Review/Cahiers Economiques de Bruxelles, Editions du DULBEA, Université libre de Bruxelles, Department of Applied Economics (DULBEA), vol. 47(1), pages 29-44.
  10. Daniel Cohen & Marcelo Soto, 2007. "Growth and human capital: good data, good results," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 12(1), pages 51-76, March. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  11. de la Fuente, Angel & Doménech, Rafael, 2002. "Human Capital in Growth Regressions: How Much Difference Does Data Quality Make? An Update and Further Results," CEPR Discussion Papers 3587, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  12. Enrica Detragiache & William Carrington, 1998. "How Big is the Brain Drain?," IMF Working Papers 98/102, International Monetary Fund.
  13. Stark, Oded & Helmenstein, Christian & Prskawetz, Alexia, 1997. "A Brain Gain with a Brain Drain," Economics Series 45, Institute for Advanced Studies. [Downloadable!]
  14. Amparo Castello & Rafael Domenech, 2002. "Human Capital Inequality and Economic Growth: Some New Evidence," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 112(478), pages C187-C200, March. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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Cited by:
(explanations, Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.)

  1. Frédéric Docquier & B. Lindsay Lowell & Abdeslam Marfouk, 2007. "A Gendered Assessment of the Brain Drain," IZA Discussion Papers 3235, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
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  2. de Melo, Jaime & Ivlevs, Artjoms, 2008. "FDI, the Brain Drain and Trade: Channels and Evidence," CEPR Discussion Papers 7002, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  3. Mislav Ante Omazić & Dario Blažeković, 2008. "Virtual Mentorship as an Advanced Method of Knowledge and Experience Sharing and Network Building," EFZG Working Papers Series 0801, Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Zagreb. [Downloadable!]
  4. Michel, BEINE & Cecily, DEFOORT & FrŽdŽric, DOCQUIER, 2007. "A Panel Data Analysis of the Brain Gain," Discussion Papers (ECON - Département des Sciences Economiques) 2007024, Université catholique de Louvain, Département des Sciences Economiques. [Downloadable!]
  5. Frédéric Docquier, 2006. "Brain Drain and Inequality Across Nations," IZA Discussion Papers 2440, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
  6. Cristina Cattaneo, 2008. "International Migration, the Brain Drain and Poverty:A Cross Country Analysis," CESPRI Working Papers 212, CESPRI, Centre for Research on Innovation and Internationalisation, Universita' Bocconi, Milano, Italy, revised Jan 2008. [Downloadable!]
  7. Michel BEINE & Frederic DOCQUIER & Caglar OZDEN, 2009. "Diasporas," Discussion Papers (IRES - Institut de Recherches Economiques et Sociales) 2009002, Université catholique de Louvain, Institut de Recherches Economiques et Sociales (IRES). [Downloadable!]
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  8. Abdeslam Marfouk, 2008. "The African Brain Drain: Scope and Determinants," Working Papers DULBEA 08-07.RS, Université libre de Bruxelles, Department of Applied Economics (DULBEA). [Downloadable!]
  9. John Gibson & David McKenzie, 2009. "The Microeconomic Determinants of Emigration and Return Migration of the Best and Brightest: Evidence from the Pacific," CReAM Discussion Paper Series 0903, Centre for Research and Analysis of Migration (CReAM), Department of Economics, University College London. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
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