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Bringing It All Back Home Return migration and fertility choices

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  • Simone Bertoli

    (CERDI - Centre d'Études et de Recherches sur le Développement International - UdA - Université d'Auvergne - Clermont-Ferrand I - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

  • Francesca Marchetta

    (CERDI - Centre d'Études et de Recherches sur le Développement International - UdA - Université d'Auvergne - Clermont-Ferrand I - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

Abstract

Return migration exerts wide-ranging influence upon the countries of origin of the migrants. We analyze whether returnees adjust their fertility choices to match the norms which prevail in their previous countries of destinations, using Egyptian household-level data. Egyptians migrate predominantly towards other Arab countries characterized by higher fertility rates. Relying on a two-step instrumental variable approach to control for the endogeneity of the migration decisions, we show that return migration has a significant and positive influence on the total number of children. These results suggest that migration might not be an unmitigated blessing for Egypt, as it has contributed to slow down the process of demographic transition.

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  • Simone Bertoli & Francesca Marchetta, 2012. "Bringing It All Back Home Return migration and fertility choices," Working Papers halshs-00659292, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:wpaper:halshs-00659292
    Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://shs.hal.science/halshs-00659292
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    temporary migration; fertility; household-level data; North Africa; Egypt;
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