Internal Migration in Ghana : Determinants and Welfare Impacts

Ackah, Charles; Medvedev, Denis

Internal Migration in Ghana : Determinants and Welfare Impacts

Autores

Descripción

Using a recently compiled dataset on migration and remittances in Ghana, this paper estimates the determinants of an individual s likelihood to be an internal migrant and the relationship between internal migration and welfare. The analysis 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. The analysis finds 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; the welfare of households with migrants exclusively in rural areas is no different from households without any migrants.

Palabras clave

ACCESS TO EDUCATION, ACCESS TO SERVICES, ALCOHOL, AMOUNT OF REMITTANCES, AMOUNTS OF REMITTANCES, BORDERS, CAPITA REMITTANCES, CITIES, COMMUNITY EDUCATION, CULTURAL CHANGE, DEMOGRAPHY, DEPENDENCY RATIO, DEPENDENCY RATIOS, DEVELOPING COUNTRIES, DRINKING WATER, EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT, ELDERLY, ETHNIC GROUP, ETHNIC GROUPS, FAMILIES, FAMILY MEMBERS, FOOD SECURITY, FORMAL EDUCATION, GENDER, HEALTH INSURANCE, HEALTH SERVICES, HOUSEHOLD INCOME, HOUSEHOLD SIZE, HOUSEHOLD WELFARE, HUMAN CAPITAL, IDENTITY, IMPACT OF MIGRATION, IMPACT OF REMITTANCES, IMPORTANCE OF REMITTANCES, INCOMES, INEQUALITY, INTERNAL MIGRANTS, INTERNAL MIGRATION, INTERNATIONAL FOOD POLICY RESEARCH INSTITUTE, INTERNATIONAL MIGRANTS, LABOR SUPPLY, LEVEL OF EDUCATION, LEVELS OF EDUCATION, LITERACY, LITERACY RATES, LIVING STANDARDS, MALE MIGRANTS, MARITAL STATUS, MEDICAL CARE, MIGRANT, MIGRANT HOUSEHOLDS, MIGRANT NETWORKS, MIGRANTS, MIGRATION DECISION, MIGRATION PATTERNS, MIGRATION RATES, MOBILITY, MOTHER, NUMBER OF HOUSEHOLDS, NUMBER OF MIGRANTS, OVERPOPULATION, POLICY RESEARCH, POLICY RESEARCH WORKING PAPER, POPULATION PRESSURE, POPULATION SIZE, POPULATION STUDIES, PRIMARY SCHOOL, PROGRESS, PULL FACTORS, PUSH FACTORS, REMITTANCE, REMITTANCES, REMITTANCES REMITTANCES, RESPECT, RETURN MIGRANTS, RURAL AREAS, RURAL COMMUNITIES, RURAL INFRASTRUCTURE, RURAL ORIGIN, SANITATION, SANITATION FACILITIES, SEND REMITTANCES, SERVICE DELIVERY, SERVICE PROVISION, SOCIAL GROUPS, SPOUSE, TERTIARY EDUCATION, URBAN AREAS, URBAN COMMUNITIES, URBAN MIGRATION, USE OF REMITTANCES, VULNERABILITY, WIDOWS, YOUNG CHILDREN