Should I Stay or Should I Go? : Internal Migration and Household Welfare in Ghana
This papers investigates to what extent internal migration contributes to improving households' welfare in Ghana. Using the most recent and nationally representative household survey (Ghana Living Standards Survey 2012/13), the estimates indic...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Working Paper |
| Language: | English en_US |
| Published: |
World Bank, Washington, DC
2016
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2016/07/26584978/stay-or-internal-migration-household-welfare-ghana http://hdl.handle.net/10986/24833 |
| Summary: | This papers investigates to what extent
internal migration contributes to improving households'
welfare in Ghana. Using the most recent and nationally
representative household survey (Ghana Living Standards
Survey 2012/13), the estimates indicate that on average
migration increases consumption significantly, and the
effect is driven by households migrating from inland regions
to the coastal areas of the country. The analysis also finds
heterogeneous effects by gender and educational attainment,
with migrant households headed by males and highly educated
individuals faring significantly better than migrant
households headed by females and low-educated individuals.
The paper shows convincing evidence that the positive impact
of migration on consumption is attributable to a physical
mobility effect rather than changes in labor force status or
sector of economic activity. However, the migration process
in Ghana has important downsides, such as the brain drain
and disruption of the social fabric in the communities
originating migration. Future research in this area is
warranted to have a more comprehensive picture of the social
impact of migration in Ghana. |
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