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Internal migration in Ghana: determinants and welfare impacts

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  • Charles Ackah
  • Denis Medvedev

Abstract

Purpose - Using a recently compiled dataset on migration and remittances in Ghana, the purpose of this paper is to estimate the determinants of an individual's likelihood to be an internal migrant and the relationship between internal migration and welfare. Design/methodology/approach - The paper uses treatment regression techniques to assess the characteristics of Ghanaian migrants, the determinants of migration, and its impact on household welfare. Findings - The paper finds that the likelihood to migrate is determined by a combination of individual (pull) and community‐level (push) characteristics. The probability of migration is higher for younger and more educated individuals, but communities with higher levels of literacy, higher rates of subsidized medical care, and better access to water and sanitation are less likely to produce migrants. It is found that households with migrants tend to be better off than similar households without migrants, even after controlling for the fact that households with migrants are a non‐random sample of Ghanaians. However, the positive relationship is only true for households with at least one migrant in urban areas. Research limitations/implications - Clearly, if the authors had access to panel data, they would have been able to do something very nice and clean (on both theoretical and econometric grounds). Originality/value - This paper adds to the Ghana migration literature by offering a novel empirical assessment of the characteristics of Ghanaian migrants, the determinants of migration, and its impact on household welfare by drawing on a recently‐assembled, nationally‐representative sample of Ghanaian households.

Suggested Citation

  • Charles Ackah & Denis Medvedev, 2012. "Internal migration in Ghana: determinants and welfare impacts," International Journal of Social Economics, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 39(10), pages 764-784, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:eme:ijsepp:v:39:y:2012:i:10:p:764-784
    DOI: 10.1108/03068291211253386
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Stark, Oded & Bloom, David E, 1985. "The New Economics of Labor Migration," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 75(2), pages 173-178, May.
    2. Adams, Richard H., Jr. & Cuecuecha, Alfredo & Page, John, 2008. "The impact of remittances on poverty and inequality in Ghana," Policy Research Working Paper Series 4732, The World Bank.
    3. Stark, Oded, 2003. "Tales of Migration without Wage Differentials: Individual, Family, and Community Contexts," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, issue 2, pages 79-92.
    4. Lall, Somik V. & Selod, Harris & Shalizi, Zmarak, 2006. "Rural-urban migration in developing countries : a survey of theoretical predictions and empirical findings," Policy Research Working Paper Series 3915, The World Bank.
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    Cited by:

    1. Cuong Nguyen & Anh Tran, 2020. "Are children an incentive or a disincentive for migration? Evidence from Vietnam," Economics of Transition and Institutional Change, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 28(3), pages 467-485, July.
    2. Isabelle Chort & Philippe De Vreyer & Thomas Zuber, 2017. "Gendered internal migration patterns in Senegal," Working Papers DT/2017/02, DIAL (Développement, Institutions et Mondialisation).
    3. Mohamed El Hedi Arouri & Nguyen Viet Cuong, 2018. "On the Impact of Household Asset level and Inequality on Inter-governorate Migration: Evidence from Egypt," Working Papers 1182, Economic Research Forum, revised 12 Apr 2018.
    4. Long Thanh Giang & Cuong Viet Nguyen & Hoa Quynh Nguyen, 2020. "The Impacts of Economic Growth and Governance on Migration: Evidence from Vietnam," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 32(4), pages 1195-1229, September.
    5. Isabelle Chort & Philippe De Vreyer & Thomas Zuber, 2017. "Gendered internal migration patterns in Senegal," Working Papers DT/2017/02, DIAL (Développement, Institutions et Mondialisation).
    6. Alleluyanatha, Esther & Awotide, Bola Amoke & Dontsop-Nguezet, Paul Martins & Coulibaly, Amadou Youssouf & Bello, Lateef & Abdoulaye, Tahirou & Manyong, Victor & Bamba, Zoumana, 2021. "Effect of Youth Migration and Remittances on RURAL Households’ Livelihoods in South-Eastern Nigeria," 2021 Conference, August 17-31, 2021, Virtual 315200, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    7. Slawa Rokicki & Livia Montana & Günther Fink, 2014. "Impact of Migration on Fertility and Abortion: Evidence From the Household and Welfare Study of Accra," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 51(6), pages 2229-2254, December.
    8. Jordan Chamberlin & Cristina Ramos & Kibrom Abay, 2021. "Do more Vibrant Rural Areas have Lower Rates of Youth Out-Migration? Evidence from Zambia," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 33(4), pages 951-979, August.
    9. Ginzinger, Felix Sebastian Veit, 2020. "A spatial analysis of the determinants of Inter-regional migration: evidence from Ghana," MPRA Paper 114945, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised Oct 2022.
    10. Sihong Xiong & Ya Wu & Shihai Wu & Fang Chen & Jianzhong Yan, 2020. "Determinants of migration decision-making for rural households: a case study in Chongqing, China," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 104(2), pages 1623-1639, November.
    11. Mohamed Arouri & Nguyen Viet Cuong, 2020. "Wealth inequality and inter-governorate migration: Evidence from Egypt," Progress in Development Studies, , vol. 20(2), pages 119-139, April.
    12. Frohnweiler, Sarah & Beber, Bernd & Ebert, Cara, 2022. "Information Frictions, Belief Updating and Internal Migration: Evidence from Ghana and Uganda," IZA Discussion Papers 15826, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    13. Natalia Galvis Arias, 2019. "Migración y seguridad alimentaria en Colombia," Documentos de trabajo 17566, Escuela de Gobierno - Universidad de los Andes.
    14. Carina Goldbach, 2017. "Out-migration from Coastal Areas in Ghana and Indonesia—the Role of Environmental Factors," CESifo Economic Studies, CESifo Group, vol. 63(4), pages 529-559.
    15. Coxhead, Ian & Vu, Linh & Nguyen, Cuong, 2016. "Migration in Vietnam: New Evidence from Recent Surveys," MPRA Paper 70217, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    16. Daniel Tsegai & Quang Bao Le, 2011. "District-level spatial analysis of migration flows in Ghana: determinants and implications for policy," Regional Science Policy & Practice, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 3(2), pages 87-100, June.
    17. Franklin Amuakwa-Mensah, 2015. "Climate element of migration decision in Ghana: Micro Evidence," Working Papers 2015.18, FAERE - French Association of Environmental and Resource Economists.
    18. Shashidhara Kolavalli & Elizabeth Robinson & Guyslain Ngeleza & Felix Asante, 2012. "Economic Transformation in Ghana: Where Will the Path Lead?," Journal of African Development, African Finance and Economic Association (AFEA), vol. 14(2), pages 41-78.
    19. Cassels, Susan & Jenness, Samuel M. & Biney, Adriana A.E. & Dodoo, F. Nii-Amoo, 2017. "Geographic mobility and potential bridging for sexually transmitted infections in Agbogbloshie, Ghana," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 184(C), pages 27-39.
    20. Goldbach, Carina & Schlüter, Achim, 2018. "Risk aversion, time preferences, and out-migration. Experimental evidence from Ghana and Indonesia," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 150(C), pages 132-148.
    21. Alain Kikandi Kiuma & Abdelkrim Araar & Christian Kamala Kaghoma, 2020. "Internal migration and youth entrepreneurship in the Democratic Republic of the Congo," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 24(3), pages 790-814, August.
    22. Lynda Pickbourn, 2018. "Rethinking Rural–Urban Migration and Women’s Empowerment in the Era of the SDGs: Lessons from Ghana," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(4), pages 1-18, April.
    23. de Brauw, Alan & Mueller, Valerie & Lee, Hak Lim, 2014. "The Role of Rural–Urban Migration in the Structural Transformation of Sub-Saharan Africa," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 63(C), pages 33-42.
    24. Alain Kikandi Kiuma & Christian Kamala Kaghoma & Joelle Mukenyi Kalala & Allegra Kabamba Mbuyi, 2015. "Mobilité interne et entrepreneuriat des jeunes en République démocratique du Congo," Working Papers PMMA 2015-07, PEP-PMMA.
    25. World Bank, 2011. "Tackling Poverty in Northern Ghana," World Bank Publications - Reports 2755, The World Bank Group.

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    Keywords

    Migration; Welfare; Ghana;
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