Emigration, remittances, and the subjective well-being of those staying behind

Abstract

We offer the first global perspective on the well-being consequences of emigration for those staying behind using several subjective well-being measures (evaluations of best possible life, positive affect, stress, and depression). Using the Gallup World Poll data for 114 countries during 2009-2011, we find that having family members abroad is associated with greater evaluative well-being and positive affect, and receiving remittances is linked with further increases in evaluative well-being, especially in poorer contexts-both across and within countries. We also document that having household members abroad is linked with increased stress and depression, which are not offset by remittances. The out-migration of family members appears less traumatic in countries where migration is more common, indicating that people in such contexts might be able to cope better with separation. Overall, subjective well-being measures, which reflect both material and non-material aspects of life, furnish additional insights and a wellrounded picture of the consequences of emigration on migrant family members staying behind relative to standard outcomes employed in the literature, such as the leftbehind's consumption, income, or labor market outcomes.

Can Parental Migration Reduce Petty Corruption in Education?

“…Individuals with migration experience thus seem to be less likely to pay bribes under a given level of pressure to do so. Ivlevs and King (2014) show similar findings for former Yugoslavian countries. While these results concern bribes payed to justice officials, they are in line with our findings for bribing schoolteachers.…”

Does Brain Drain Lead to Institutional Gain?

“…Recent research on individual‐level experiences has documented that migrants’ political and institutional remittances can improve the governance of the home countries (Ivlevs and King, ). Pérez‐Armendáriz and Crow () use surveys and interviews to show that having migration connections alters the political participation and behaviour of Mexicans living in Mexico.…”

“…For instance, Batista and Vicente () offer experimental evidence that international migration promotes improved institutions by raising the demand for political accountability. Recent research on individual‐level experiences has documented that migrants’ political and institutional remittances improved the governance of the home countries in Eastern Europe (Ivlevs and King, ). Pérez‐Armendáriz and Crow () use surveys and interviews to show that having migration connections alters the political participation and behaviour of Mexicans living in Mexico.…”

To Europe or Not to Europe? Migration and Public Support for Joining the European Union in the Western Balkans

“…However, if EU membership brings more travel and visiting opportunities, those staying behind could feel positively affected. It is also possible that migrants' relatives gain utility from knowing that migrants fulfil their potential abroad to a degree that could not be achieved in the home country (Ivlevs et al 2019). Receiving remittances is an additional factor that can affect migrant relatives' attitudes toward joining the EU.…”

“…Remittances represent a non-negligible income gain in the Western Balkan countries (Ivlevs and King, 2017), and EU membership could increase remittances through better work opportunities for migrants and more reliable and cheaper ways of transferring their remittances. Receiving remittances has been shown to boost the evaluations of the best possible life for migrant household members staying behind, above and beyond having relatives abroad (Ivlevs et al, 2019), meaning that people in remittance-receiving households would support deeper EU integration.…”