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Do Non-Economic Quality of Life Factors Drive Immigration?

Author

Listed:
  • Lewer, Joshua J.

    (Bradley University)

  • Pacheco, Gail

    (NZ Work Research Institute)

  • Rossouw, Stephanié

    (Auckland University of Technology)

Abstract

This paper contributes to the immigration literature by generating two unique non-economic quality of life (QOL) indices and testing their role on recent migration patterns. Applying the generated quality of life indices in conjunction with other independent welfare measures to an extended gravity model of immigration for 16 OECD destination countries from 1991 to 2000 suggests an insignificant role for QOL in the immigration process. The panel results suggest that other economic variables such as the stock of immigrants from the source country already living in the OECD destination country, population size, relative incomes, and geographic factors all significantly drive the flow of immigration for the sample.

Suggested Citation

  • Lewer, Joshua J. & Pacheco, Gail & Rossouw, Stephanié, 2009. "Do Non-Economic Quality of Life Factors Drive Immigration?," IZA Discussion Papers 4385, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp4385
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    Cited by:

    1. Nicole B. Simpson & Chad Sparber, 2013. "The Short‐ and Long‐Run Determinants of Less‐Educated Immigrant Flows into U.S. States," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 80(2), pages 414-438, October.
    2. Libman, Alexander & Herrmann-Pillath, Carsten & Yadav, Gaurav, 2013. "Are human rights and economic well-being substitutes? The evidence from migration patterns across the Indian states," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 31(C), pages 139-164.
    3. Simpson, Nicole B. & Sparber, Chad, 2012. "The Short- and Long-Run Determinants of Less-Educated Immigration into U.S. States," IZA Discussion Papers 6437, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    4. Talita Greyling & Stephanié Rossouw, 2017. "Non-Economic Quality of Life and Population Density in South Africa," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 134(3), pages 1051-1075, December.
    5. Rajko Tomaš, 2022. "Measurement of the Concentration of Potential Quality of Life in Local Communities," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 163(1), pages 79-109, August.
    6. Ali Tarık AKARCA & Aysıt TANSEL, 2018. "Analyzing Internal Migration to Antalya and Muğla through Gravity ModellingAbstract: Antalya and Muğla provinces located in southwestern Turkey recently emerged as new magnets for internal migration. ," Sosyoekonomi Journal, Sosyoekonomi Society, issue 26(37).
    7. Xi Liu & Clio Andris & Bruce A Desmarais, 2019. "Migration and political polarization in the U.S.: An analysis of the county-level migration network," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 14(11), pages 1-16, November.
    8. Milan Palat, 2014. "Integration prospects of Turkey into European Structures and Turkish Immigration to Germany," Border Crossing, Transnational Press London, UK, vol. 2014(1403), pages 32-40, October.
    9. Gabriele Morettini & Andrea F. Presbitero & Massimo Tamberi, 2012. "Determinants of international migrations to Italian provinces," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 32(2), pages 1604-1617.
    10. Simpson, Nicole & Sparber, Chad, 2010. "The Short-and Long-Run Determinants of Unskilled Immigration into US States," Working Papers 2010-06, Department of Economics, Colgate University.
    11. Milan Palat, 2014. "Integration prospects of Turkey into European Structures and Turkish Immigration to Germany," Border Crossing, Transnational Press London, UK, vol. 4(1-2), pages 32-40, January-J.
    12. Gisela Waisman & Birthe Larsen, 2016. "Income, amenities and negative attitudes," IZA Journal of Migration and Development, Springer;Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit GmbH (IZA), vol. 5(1), pages 1-32, December.
    13. Stephanié Rossouw & Talita Greyling, 2017. "Regional disparities in non-economic quality of life in South Africa: convergence or divergence?," Working Papers 2017-06, Auckland University of Technology, Department of Economics.
    14. Rosa M. Soriano-Miras & Antonio Trinidad-Requena & Jorge Guardiola, 2020. "The Well-Being of Moroccan Immigrants in Spain: A Composite Indicator," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 148(2), pages 635-653, April.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    immigration; quality of life; gravity model;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F22 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - International Migration
    • C51 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric Modeling - - - Model Construction and Estimation
    • D63 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Equity, Justice, Inequality, and Other Normative Criteria and Measurement

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