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Inequality and migration: A behavioral link

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  • Stark, Oded

Abstract

We provide an analytical-behavioral explanation for the observed positive relationship between income inequality, as measured by the Gini coefficient, and the incentive to migrate. We show that a higher total relative deprivation of a population leads to a stronger incentive to engage in migration for a given level of a population's income; that total relative deprivation is positively related to the Gini coefficient; and that, consequently, the Gini coefficient and migration are positively correlated, holding the population's income constant.

Suggested Citation

  • Stark, Oded, 2005. "Inequality and migration: A behavioral link," EconStor Preprints 140785, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:esprep:140785
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Lazear, Edward P & Rosen, Sherwin, 1981. "Rank-Order Tournaments as Optimum Labor Contracts," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 89(5), pages 841-864, October.
    2. Stark Oded & Wang, 2000. "A Theory of Migration as a Response to Relative Deprivation," German Economic Review, De Gruyter, vol. 1(2), pages 131-143, May.
    3. Frey, Bruno S & Stutzer, Alois, 2000. "Happiness, Economy and Institutions," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 110(466), pages 918-938, October.
    4. Oded Stark, 1990. "A Relative Deprivation Approach to Performance Incentives in Career Games and Other Contests," Kyklos, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 43(2), pages 211-227, May.
    5. Bruno S. Frey, 2018. "Economics of Happiness," SpringerBriefs in Economics, Springer, number 978-3-319-75807-7, October.
    6. Erzo F. P. Luttmer, 2005. "Neighbors as Negatives: Relative Earnings and Well-Being," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 120(3), pages 963-1002.
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    8. Clark, Andrew E. & Oswald, Andrew J., 1996. "Satisfaction and comparison income," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 61(3), pages 359-381, September.
    9. David Andolfatto, 2002. "A Theory of Inalienable Property Rights," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 110(2), pages 382-393, April.
    10. George J. Borjas, 2021. "Self-Selection and the Earnings of Immigrants," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: Foundational Essays in Immigration Economics, chapter 4, pages 69-91, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    11. Stark, Oded & Wang, You Qiang, 2005. "Towards a Theory of Self-Segregation as a Response to Relative Deprivation: Steady-State Outcomes and Social Welfare," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, pages 223-242.
    12. Thomas Liebig & Alfonso Sousa‐Poza, 2004. "Migration, Self‐Selection and Income Inequality: An International Analysis," Kyklos, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 57(1), pages 125-146, February.
    13. Stark, Oded, 1990. "A Relative Deprivation Approach to Performance Incentives in Career Games and Other Contests," Kyklos, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 43(2), pages 211-227.
    14. Oded Stark, 1991. "The Migration of Labor," Blackwell Books, Wiley Blackwell, number 1557860300, June.
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    Cited by:

    1. Andrew E. Clark & Paul Frijters & Michael A. Shields, 2008. "Relative Income, Happiness, and Utility: An Explanation for the Easterlin Paradox and Other Puzzles," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 46(1), pages 95-144, March.
    2. Zhang, Zhijian & Wang, Xueyuan, 2022. "Birthplace diversity and private giving: Evidence from China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    3. Agata Górny & Sabina Toruńczyk-Ruiz, 2015. "Relative deprivation and ‘the diversity effect’ in explaining neighbourhood attachment: Alternative or complementary mechanisms?," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 52(5), pages 984-990, April.
    4. Czaika, Mathias, 2011. "Internal and international migration as response of double deprivation: some evidence from India," Proceedings of the German Development Economics Conference, Berlin 2011 21, Verein für Socialpolitik, Research Committee Development Economics.
    5. Mohammad Reza Farzanegan & Hassan F. Gholipour & Mostafa Javadian, 2023. "Air pollution and internal migration: evidence from an Iranian household survey," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 64(1), pages 223-247, January.
    6. Otrachshenko, Vladimir & Popova, Olga, 2014. "Life (dis)satisfaction and the intention to migrate: Evidence from Central and Eastern Europe," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 40-49.
    7. Silvia Maja Melzer & Ruud J. Muffels, 2012. "Migrant's Pursuit of Happiness: The Impact of Adaption, Social Comparison and Relative Deprivation; Evidence from a 'Natural' Experiment," SOEPpapers on Multidisciplinary Panel Data Research 448, DIW Berlin, The German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP).
    8. Michael Clemens, 2014. "Does Development Reduce Migration? - Working Paper 359," Working Papers 359, Center for Global Development.
    9. Akay, Alpaslan & Bargain, Olivier B. & Giulietti, Corrado & Robalino, Juan D. & Zimmermann, Klaus F., 2016. "Remittances and relative concerns in rural China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 37(C), pages 191-207.
    10. Leefmans,Naomi & Oomes,Nienke & Rojas Romagosa,Hugo Alexander & Vervliet,Tobias & Berthiaume,Nicolas, 2021. "A Reappraisal of the Migration-Development Nexus : Testing the Robustness of the Migration Transition Hypothesis," Policy Research Working Paper Series 9518, The World Bank.
    11. Stark, Oded & Byra, Lukasz & Kosiorowski, Grzegorz, 2020. "On the precarious link between the Gini coefficient and the incentive to migrate," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 187(C).
    12. Antonia Mihai & Prada Elena-Maria, 2022. "Temporary Immigration and Regional Income Inequalities in Times of COVID-19. A Spatial Panel Data Analysis," Journal of Social and Economic Statistics, Sciendo, vol. 11(1-2), pages 1-13, December.
    13. Michael A. Clemens, 2014. "Does development reduce migration?," Chapters, in: Robert E.B. Lucas (ed.), International Handbook on Migration and Economic Development, chapter 6, pages 152-185, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    14. Armenak Antinyan & Luca Corazzini, 2018. "Relative standing and temporary migration: Empirical evidence from the South Caucasus," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 22(1), pages 361-383, February.
    15. Aida Galiano & José Gabriel Romero, 2018. "Brain drain and income distribution," Journal of Economics, Springer, vol. 124(3), pages 243-267, July.
    16. Oded Stark & Walter Hyll & Doris Behrens, 2010. "Gauging the potential for social unrest," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 143(1), pages 229-236, April.
    17. Stark, Oded & Micevska, Maja & Mycielski, Jerzy, 2009. "Relative poverty as a determinant of migration: Evidence from Poland," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 103(3), pages 119-122, June.
    18. Persyn, Damiaan, 2021. "Migrants looking for opportunities - On destination size and spatial aggregation in the gravity equation for migration," MPRA Paper 111064, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    19. Zheren WU, 2008. "Relative Income Positions and Labor Migration: A Panel Study Based on a Rural Household Survey in China," Discussion Papers in Economics and Business 08-24, Osaka University, Graduate School of Economics.
    20. Luciana Méndez, 2020. "So Dissatisfied to Leave? The Role of Perceptions, Expectations and Beliefs on Youths’ Intention to Migrate: Evidence from a Developing Country," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 21(8), pages 2981-3006, December.
    21. Siham Matallah, 2020. "Public service delivery, corruption and inequality: key factors driving migration from North Africa to the developed world," Journal of Social and Economic Development, Springer;Institute for Social and Economic Change, vol. 22(2), pages 328-354, December.
    22. Bencek, David & Schneiderheinze, Claas, 2020. "Higher economic growth in poor countries, lower migration flows to the OECD: Revisiting the migration hump with panel data," Kiel Working Papers 2145, Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel), revised 2020.
    23. Georg Fischer & Stefan Jestl & Leon Podkaminer & Armon Rezai & Robert Stehrer, 2018. "Monthly Report No. 4/2018," wiiw Monthly Reports 2018-04, The Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies, wiiw.
    24. Zubair, Muhammad & Bögenhold, Dieter, 2017. "Migration, Social Capital, Financial Capital: How Migrants’ Family Relations Serve Internationally," MPRA Paper 83116, University Library of Munich, Germany.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Income inequality; Relative deprivation; The Gini coefficient; The incentive to migrate;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • A13 - General Economics and Teaching - - General Economics - - - Relation of Economics to Social Values
    • A14 - General Economics and Teaching - - General Economics - - - Sociology of Economics
    • D31 - Microeconomics - - Distribution - - - Personal Income and Wealth Distribution
    • D63 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Equity, Justice, Inequality, and Other Normative Criteria and Measurement
    • F22 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - International Migration
    • J61 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Geographic Labor Mobility; Immigrant Workers

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