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After the Famine: Emigration from Ireland, 1850–1913

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  • Hatton, Timothy J.
  • Williamson, Jeffrey G.

Abstract

This article examines the determinants of emigration from post-Famine Ireland. As Irish real wages rose relative to those in destination countries, the emigration rate fell. We argue, from time series analysis, that much of the secular fall in the rate can be explained by that narrowing of the wage gap. County-level, cross-sectional analysis of emigration rates indicates that poverty and low wages, large family size, and limited opportunities to acquire smallholdings all contributed to high rates of emigration. Changes in those variables over time reflect the rise in living standards, consistent with time series evidence.

Suggested Citation

  • Hatton, Timothy J. & Williamson, Jeffrey G., 1993. "After the Famine: Emigration from Ireland, 1850–1913," The Journal of Economic History, Cambridge University Press, vol. 53(3), pages 575-600, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:cup:jechis:v:53:y:1993:i:03:p:575-600_01
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    Cited by:

    1. David Escamilla-Guerrero, 2020. "Revisiting Mexican migration in the Age of Mass Migration: New evidence from individual border crossings," Historical Methods: A Journal of Quantitative and Interdisciplinary History, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 53(4), pages 207-225, October.
    2. Gráda, Cormac Ó & O'Rourke, Kevin H., 1997. "Migration as disaster relief: Lessons from the Great Irish Famine," European Review of Economic History, Cambridge University Press, vol. 1(1), pages 3-25, April.
    3. Gröger, André, 2021. "Easy come, easy go? Economic shocks, labor migration and the family left behind," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 128(C).
    4. Pier Giorgio Ardeni & Andrea Gentili, 2014. "Revisiting Italian emigration before the Great War: a test of the standard economic model," European Review of Economic History, European Historical Economics Society, vol. 18(4), pages 452-471.
    5. Boberg-Fazlić, Nina & Lampe, Markus & Sharp, Paul, 2024. "The sleeping giant who left for America: Danish land inequality and emigration during the age of mass migration," Explorations in Economic History, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    6. Gharad Bryan & Shyamal Chowdhury & A. Mushfiq Mobarak, 2011. "Seasonal Migration and Risk Aversion," Working Papers id:4650, eSocialSciences.
    7. Timothy J. Hatton, 2019. "Emigration from the UK 1870-1913: Quantity and Quality," CEH Discussion Papers 07, Centre for Economic History, Research School of Economics, Australian National University.
    8. Hatton, T. J., 1995. "A model of Scandinavian emigration, 1870-1913," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 39(3-4), pages 557-564, April.
    9. Curran, Declan & Fröling, Maria, 2010. "Large-scale mortality shocks and the Great Irish Famine 1845-1852," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 27(5), pages 1302-1314, September.
    10. Blum, Matthias & Colvin, Christopher L. & McLaughlin, Eoin, 2017. "Scarring and selection in the Great Irish Famine," QUCEH Working Paper Series 2017-08, Queen's University Belfast, Queen's University Centre for Economic History.
    11. Mounir Karadja & Erik Prawitz, 2019. "Exit, Voice, and Political Change: Evidence from Swedish Mass Migration to the United States," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 127(4), pages 1864-1925.
    12. Michael A. Clemens, 2011. "Economics and Emigration: Trillion-Dollar Bills on the Sidewalk?," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 25(3), pages 83-106, Summer.
    13. De Bromhead, Alan & Lyons, Ronan C., 2021. "Rooted to the soil: The impact of social housing on population in Ireland since 1911," QUCEH Working Paper Series 21-08, Queen's University Belfast, Queen's University Centre for Economic History.
    14. Fernández, Martín & Tortorici, Gaspare, 2024. "Male and female self-selection during the Portuguese mass migration, 1885–1930," Explorations in Economic History, Elsevier, vol. 92(C).
    15. Bohlin, Jan & Eurenius, Anna-Maria, 2010. "Why they moved -- Emigration from the Swedish countryside to the United States, 1881-1910," Explorations in Economic History, Elsevier, vol. 47(4), pages 533-551, October.
    16. de Bromhead, Alan & Lyons, Ronan C., 2023. "Social housing and the spread of population: Evidence from twentieth century Ireland," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 138(C).

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