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Moving to Despair? Migration and Well-Being in Pakistan

Author

Listed:
  • Chen, Joyce J

    (Ohio State University)

  • Kosec, Katrina

    (IFPRI, International Food Policy Research Institute)

  • Mueller, Valerie

    (IFPRI, International Food Policy Research Institute)

Abstract

Internal migration has the potential to substantially increase income, especially for the poor in developing countries, and yet migration rates remain low. We explore the role of psychic costs by evaluating the impacts of internal migration on a suite of well-being indicators using a unique, 22-year longitudinal study in rural Pakistan. We account for selection into migration using covariate matching. Migrants have roughly 35 to 40 percent higher consumption per adult equivalent, yet are 12 to 14 percentage points less likely to report feeling either happy or calm. Our results suggest that deteriorating physical health coupled with feelings of relative deprivation underlie the disparity between economic and mental well-being. Thus, despite substantial monetary gains from migration, people may be happier and less mentally distressed remaining at home. If traditional market mechanisms cannot reduce psychic costs, it may be more constructive to address regional inequality by shifting production – rather than workers – across space.

Suggested Citation

  • Chen, Joyce J & Kosec, Katrina & Mueller, Valerie, 2017. "Moving to Despair? Migration and Well-Being in Pakistan," IZA Discussion Papers 10853, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp10853
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    Cited by:

    1. Walther, Lena & Fuchs, Lukas M. & Schupp, Jürgen & Scheve, Christian von, 2020. "Living Conditions and the Mental Health and Well-being of Refugees : Evidence from a Large-Scale German Survey," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 22, pages 903-913.
    2. Haoyang Lyu & Zengchuan Dong & Mahendran Roobavannan & Jaya Kandasamy & Saket Pande, 2019. "Rural unemployment pushes migrants to urban areas in Jiangsu Province, China," Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 5(1), pages 1-12, December.
    3. Coulibaly, Thierry Yerema & Managi, Shunsuke, 2022. "Populations in slums are happier than rural populations: The case of Mumbai," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 122(C).
    4. Zhijian Zhang & Xueyuan Wang, 2021. "Ambition or Jealousy? It Depends on Whom you are Compared with," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 22(3), pages 1189-1215, March.
    5. Kosec, Katrina & Mo, Cecilia Hyunjung & Schmidt, Emily & Song, Jie, 2021. "Perceptions of relative deprivation and women’s empowerment," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 138(C).
    6. Hasan, Syed M. & Zhang, Wendong, 2020. "Will Urbanization in Developing Countries Reduce Carbon Emissions? Panel Data Evidence from Pakistani Household Surveys," ISU General Staff Papers 202005040700001117, Iowa State University, Department of Economics.
    7. Gabriel Rodríguez-Puello & Leonidas Hernandez & Diana Romero-Espinosa & Francisco Rowe, 2025. "The Disruptive Long-Term Costs of International Migration on Subjective Well-Being," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 26(6), pages 1-29, August.
    8. Chinedu Obi & Wannes Slosse & Fabio Bartolini & Joost Dessein & Marijke D’Haese, 2023. "Understanding Integration Experience and Wellbeing of Economic-Asylum Seekers in Italy: the Case of Nigerian Immigrants," Journal of International Migration and Integration, Springer, vol. 24(1), pages 189-210, March.
    9. Bang, James & Mitra, Aniruddha & Abbas, Faisal, 2023. "Remittances and Child Labor in Pakistan: A Tale of Complementarities," GLO Discussion Paper Series 1285, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    10. Godoy, Ricardo & Bauchet, Jonathan & Behrman, Jere R. & Huanca, Tomás & Leonard, William R. & Reyes-García, Victoria & Rosinger, Asher & Tanner, Susan & Undurraga, Eduardo A. & Zycherman, Ariela, 2024. "Changes in adult well-being and economic inequalities: An exploratory observational longitudinal study (2002–2010) of micro-level trends among Tsimane’, a small-scale rural society of Indigenous Peopl," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 176(C).
    11. Fabry, Anna & Maertens, Miet, 2025. "Temporary labor mobility to various geographical and sectoral destinations improves rural incomes − Insights from Peru," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 185(C).
    12. Endalew Terefe Alene, 2023. "Examine the association between self-employment and return migrants in Ethiopia: evidence from Gondar city youth returnees," Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Springer, vol. 12(1), pages 1-22, December.
    13. Ibanez, Ana Maria & Moya, Andres & Ortega, María Adelaida & Rozo, Sandra V. & Urbina, Maria José, 2022. "Life Out of the Shadows: Impacts of Amnesties in the Lives of Migrants," IZA Discussion Papers 15049, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    14. Dao Duy Minh & Philippe Lebailly & Nguyen Dang Hao & Ho Thi Minh Hop, 2019. "The Evolution of Migration: The Case of Coastal Sandy Zone in Thua Thien Hue Province, Vietnam," International Journal of Economics and Financial Issues, Econjournals, vol. 9(4), pages 156-165.

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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • J61 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Geographic Labor Mobility; Immigrant Workers
    • O15 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration
    • I31 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - General Welfare, Well-Being

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