The impact of immigration on urban housing prices in Indonesia

Purpose - Rural–urban migration has led to an increase in the community’s need for housing in the migration area. The demand for housing is getting higher while the land availability does not increase so that house prices will continue to increase. This study aims to estimate the impact of immigration on urban housing prices in Indonesia. Design/methodology/approach - This study examines the effect of immigration on urban housing prices at the city level in Indonesia by using 14 major cities data from 2012 to 2020 to build a panel data model. The model also incorporates urban economic conditions as control variables. Findings - From the national level, the authors find that inter-regional migration has a significant and positive impact on urban housing prices. Based on the results, this paper suggested addressing the volatility of house prices through the provision of decent and affordable housing improvement to meet the growing needs and demands of the immigrant population. Research limitations/implications - This study still has several limitations: the sample of cities used is not comprehensive enough, and the time period used is not long enough; the spatial impact on house prices is not taken into account, and the effect of migrant characteristics in each city has not been considered. Originality/value - There is limited research on the impact of immigration on urban housing prices in city levels, especially in the case of Indonesia. In addition, recent migration is used to proxy the immigration pattern. This paper provides a valuable contribution to the empirical literature on the effect of immigration at the city level in developing countries.