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Should International Migration Be Encouraged to Offset Population Aging? A Cross-Country Analysis of Public Attitudes in Europe

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  • Alin Ceobanu
  • Tanya Koropeckyj-Cox

Abstract

Concerns about population aging in Europe have occupied the attention of policy makers and demographers for over a decade. Some policy makers have proposed increased immigration to offset the aging of the population (i.e., replacement migration). However, demographers have estimated that a very high (and likely untenable) level of immigration would be required, and little is known about whether the national publics of Europe would support international migration as a potential solution to population aging. Using Eurobarometer data from 2006 and concurrent country-level measures from Eurostat, this study examines individual- and contextual-level factors related to public attitudes toward immigration as an effective solution to the problem of population aging in the current 27 member countries of the European Union. Results from multilevel logit analyses indicate that urban, university-educated, and childless individuals are consistently more likely than others to endorse replacement migration. Countries with more prosperous economies and proportionally fewer foreign-born residents also show more supportive attitudes. Such results echo research on anti-immigrant sentiment, suggesting considerable public resistance to population policies that might encourage large-scale immigration. At the same time, these findings show consistent patterns of endorsement despite demographers’ criticism of the concept of replacement migration and concerns about developing alternative long-term strategies. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2013

Suggested Citation

  • Alin Ceobanu & Tanya Koropeckyj-Cox, 2013. "Should International Migration Be Encouraged to Offset Population Aging? A Cross-Country Analysis of Public Attitudes in Europe," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 32(2), pages 261-284, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:poprpr:v:32:y:2013:i:2:p:261-284
    DOI: 10.1007/s11113-012-9260-7
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Epstein, Gil S. & Katav-Herz, Shirit, 2019. "Who is in favor of immigration," GLO Discussion Paper Series 351, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    2. Zaiceva, A. & Zimmermann, K.F., 2016. "Migration and the Demographic Shift," Handbook of the Economics of Population Aging, in: Piggott, John & Woodland, Alan (ed.), Handbook of the Economics of Population Aging, edition 1, volume 1, chapter 0, pages 119-177, Elsevier.
    3. Gil S. Epstein & Shirit Katav Herz, 2019. "Who is in favor of immigration: the wealthy or the poor? the old or the young?," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 39(2), pages 1424-1434.

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