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Migration, Human Capital Formation, and Growth: An Empirical Investigation

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  • Di Maria, Corrado
  • Lazarova, Emiliya A.

Abstract

We study the effect of skilled emigration on human capital formation and growth in a sample of developing countries. We find that the migration rate exerts statistically significant effects on both the level and the composition of human capital. We are able to trace the impact of these changes on the growth rate of sending countries via regression analysis and simulations. Our results show that while there are both winners and losers, almost 70% of the population in our sample suffers lower growth as a consequence of skilled migration. Moreover, the losses are concentrated in countries with low levels of technological sophistication.

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  • Di Maria, Corrado & Lazarova, Emiliya A., 2012. "Migration, Human Capital Formation, and Growth: An Empirical Investigation," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 40(5), pages 938-955.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:wdevel:v:40:y:2012:i:5:p:938-955
    DOI: 10.1016/j.worlddev.2011.11.011
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    Cited by:

    1. Michael A. Clemens, 2016. "Losing our minds? New research directions on skilled emigration and development," International Journal of Manpower, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 37(7), pages 1227-1248, October.
    2. Julia Bredtmann & Fernanda Martínez Flores & Sebastian Otten, 2019. "Remittances and the Brain Drain: Evidence from Microdata for Sub-Saharan Africa," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 55(7), pages 1455-1476, July.
    3. Mingke Xie & Zhangxian Feng & Chenggu Li, 2022. "How Does Population Shrinkage Affect Economic Resilience? A Case Study of Resource-Based Cities in Northeast China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(6), pages 1-22, March.
    4. Imen Mohamed Sghaier, 2022. "Foreign Capital Inflows and Economic Growth in North African Countries: the Role of Human Capital," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 13(4), pages 2804-2821, December.
    5. Hayot Berk Saydaliev & Lee Chin, 2023. "The necessity of social infrastructure for enhancing educational attainment: evidence from high remittance recipient LMICs," Economic Change and Restructuring, Springer, vol. 56(3), pages 1823-1847, June.
    6. Saleemi, Sundus, 2021. "Children in left-behind migrant households: education and gender equality," Discussion Papers 311113, University of Bonn, Center for Development Research (ZEF).
    7. Campbell, Anne C., 2017. "How international scholarship recipients perceive their contributions to the development of their home countries: Findings from a comparative study of Georgia and Moldova," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 56-62.
    8. Imen Mohamed Sghaier, 2021. "Foreign Financial Flows, Human Capital and Economic Growth in North African Countries," Economic Alternatives, University of National and World Economy, Sofia, Bulgaria, issue 3, pages 355-371, September.
    9. Imtiaz Arif & Syed Ali Raza & Anita Friemann & Muhammad Tahir Suleman, 2019. "The Role of Remittances in the Development of Higher Education: Evidence from Top Remittance Receiving Countries," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 141(3), pages 1233-1243, February.
    10. Herbst, Mikolaj & Rok, Jakub, 2013. "Mobility of human capital and its effect on regional economic development. Review of theory and empirical literature," MPRA Paper 45755, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    11. Xiaoxi Wang & Yaojun Zhang & Danlin Yu & Xiwei Wu & Ding Li, 2022. "Changes in Demographic Factors’ Influence on Regional Productivity Growth: Empirical Evidence from China, 2000–2010," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(7), pages 1-19, April.
    12. Youngjin Woo & Euijune Kim & Jaewon Lim, 2017. "The Impact of Education and R&D Investment on Regional Economic Growth," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(5), pages 1-18, April.
    13. Martin Guzi & Štěpán Mikula, 2022. "Reforms that keep you at home: The effects of economic transition on migration," Economics of Transition and Institutional Change, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 30(2), pages 289-310, April.
    14. MONGELLI Ignazio & CISCAR MARTINEZ Juan Carlos, 2018. "Economic consequences of zero international migration in the EU: An assessment for Europe based on the Eurostat population projections," JRC Research Reports JRC109196, Joint Research Centre.
    15. Chepel, S. & Bondarenko, K., 2015. "Is the External Labor Migration an Economic Growth Factor: Econometric Analysis and Policy Implications for the CIS Countries," Journal of the New Economic Association, New Economic Association, vol. 28(4), pages 142-166.
    16. Heuer, Nina, 2011. "The effect of occupation-specific brain drain on human capital," University of Tübingen Working Papers in Business and Economics 7, University of Tuebingen, Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences, School of Business and Economics.
    17. Almeida, Carlo Alano Soares de & Fernandes, Kaio César & Oliveira, Denison Murilo de & Rocha, Leonardo Andrade & Silva, Napiê Galvê Araújo, 2020. "Growth and heterogeneity of human capital: effects of the expansion of higher education on the income increase in Brazilian municipalities," Revista CEPAL, Naciones Unidas Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL), August.
    18. Hari Sharma & John Gibson, 2020. "Effects of International Migration on Child Schooling and Child Labour: Evidence from Nepal," Working Papers in Economics 20/07, University of Waikato.
    19. Mawussé K. N. Okey, 2017. "Does migration promote industrial development in Africa?," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 37(1), pages 228-247.
    20. Mozumder, Lavlu & Islam, Mohammad Amirul, 2017. "Effects Of Remittances On Human Capital Development: An Empirical Analysis," Bangladesh Journal of Agricultural Economics, Bangladesh Agricultural University, vol. 36(1-2), April.
    21. Henk F. Moed & Gali Halevi, 2014. "A bibliometric approach to tracking international scientific migration," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 101(3), pages 1987-2001, December.
    22. Kashif Iqbal & Yichu Wang & Khurshaid Khurshaid & Muhammad Haroon Shah & Muhammad Sohaib, 2021. "Current Trend and Determinants of Intentions to Migrate: Evidence From China," SAGE Open, , vol. 11(1), pages 21582440211, March.
    23. Lim, Sokchea & Basnet, Hem C., 2017. "International Migration, Workers’ Remittances and Permanent Income Hypothesis," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 96(C), pages 438-450.
    24. Navarro, Salvador & Zhou, Jin, 2024. "Human capital and migration: A cautionary tale," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 243(1).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    education; brain drain; migration; human capital; economic growth; Asia; Africa; South America;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I28 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Government Policy
    • F22 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - International Migration
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
    • O40 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - General

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