The effects of international migration on well-being of natives and immigrants: evidence from Germany, Switzerland and the UK

International migration, especially in recent years, has reached the top of the national and global political agendas because of its significant economic, social, and cultural implications in both sending and receiving countries. However, little is known about the impact of migration on migrants’ well-being. In this study, we aim to investigate the effect of net migration rates on the objective and subjective well-being of both natives and immigrants. The empirical analysis relies on micro-level data derived from household surveys in Germany, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. We estimate various regression models, and we perform the estimates across gender, education and moving status, and between natives and first-generation migrants. The results are mixed and vary by country. In particular, we find a positive impact of migration on both native’s and migrants’ well-being in Germany, while a negative effect on life satisfaction of Swiss natives is revealed. Immigrants in Switzerland are happier, while migration has no impact on natives’ and immigrants’ well-being in the UK. However, the results vary according to the education and population density of immigrants in an area. Moreover, after some point, additional increases in net migration rates may negatively affect the well-being of respondents in Germany. The findings have social and economic implications highlighting the importance of economic infrastructure and people’s perceptions of migration, where migration flows may benefit host societies up to some degree. Moreover, the findings may provide insights into migration policies and their impact on the economic and socio-cultural integration of migrants into the host society.