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Internal migration and rural service provision in northern Ghana

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  • Wouterse, Fleur Stephanie

Abstract

This paper uses a two-stage conditional maximum likelihood procedure and new data from Ghana to identify the determinants of rural-urban migration at the individual, household and community levels, with a particular focus on rural services. The econometric evidence supports the theoretical expectation that human-capital and network variables as well as assets are important determinants of migration. Taking the possible endogeneity of rural services into account, the evidence suggests that rural service improvements aimed at reducing economic isolation can enhance labor mobility and free up on-farm labor for migration by lowering transaction costs.

Suggested Citation

  • Wouterse, Fleur Stephanie, 2010. "Internal migration and rural service provision in northern Ghana," IFPRI discussion papers 952, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    • Handle: RePEc:fpr:ifprid:952
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    File URL: https://hdl.handle.net/10568/154597
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Sihong Xiong & Ya Wu & Shihai Wu & Fang Chen & Jianzhong Yan, 2020. "Determinants of migration decision-making for rural households: a case study in Chongqing, China," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 104(2), pages 1623-1639, November.
    2. Lambrecht, Isabel B., 2016. "“As a husband I will love, lead, and provide†: Gendered access to land in Ghana," IFPRI discussion papers 1514, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    3. Ghebru, Hosaena & Khan, Huma & Lambrecht, Isabel, 2016. "Perceived land tenure security and rural transformation: Empirical evidence from Ghana," IFPRI discussion papers 1545, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    4. Jibrail Bin Yusuf, 2014. "Contraception and Sexual and Reproductive Awareness Among Ghanaian Muslim Youth," SAGE Open, , vol. 4(3), pages 21582440145, July.

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    Keywords

    rural urban migration; services; development policies; Ghana; Western Africa; Sub-Saharan Africa; Africa;
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