In Transit: The Well-Being of Migrants from Transition and Post-Transition Countries

57 Pages Posted: 11 Oct 2014 Last revised: 16 Apr 2023

See all articles by Milena Nikolova

Milena Nikolova

IZA

Carol Graham

Brookings Institution - Center on Social and Economic Dynamics; University of Maryland

Abstract

The extant literature has focused on migration's consequences for the receiving countries. In this paper, we ask a different but important question: how much do migrants gain from moving to another country? Using Gallup World Poll data and a methodology combining statistical matching with difference-in-differences, we assess migration's effects on the well-being of migrants from transition economies. We contribute to the literature by showing that in addition to increasing household income, migration enhances subjective well-being and satisfaction with freedom. The results are robust to sensitivity checks. Understanding the causal effects of migration on perceived and actual well-being is crucial for an informed public policy debate and has direct implications for social cohesion and integration policy.

Keywords: subjective well-being, transition economies, migration

JEL Classification: F22, I31, J61, O15

Suggested Citation

Nikolova, Milena and Graham, Carol, In Transit: The Well-Being of Migrants from Transition and Post-Transition Countries. IZA Discussion Paper No. 8520, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2508575 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2508575

Carol Graham

Brookings Institution - Center on Social and Economic Dynamics ( email )

1775 Massachusetts Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20036
United States
(202) 797-6022 (Phone)
(202) 797-2968 (Fax)

University of Maryland ( email )

College Park
College Park, MD 20742
United States

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