The Structure and Determinants of International Migration Flows: Harmonizing Inconsistency and Panel Data Analysis

Keuntae Kim, University of Wisconsin at Madison
Jack DeWaard, University of Wisconsin at Madison

The study of international migration is currently constrained by the availability and inconsistency of data. The phenomena of globalization and migration promote a demand for reliable methods that can help us understand determinants of bilateral international migration flows. Yet, existing literature on this topic has many weaknesses. Accordingly, the present paper seeks to contribute to the literature as follows: (1) it aims to harmonize and correct for inconsistencies in available migration flow data, as well as (2) estimate migration flows to and from western countries. In particular, a panel data analysis approach is applied to the structures in the migration flow tables. Furthermore, our model incorporates demographic, social, political, and economic determinants to examine the multidimensional nature of international migration. The resulting estimates provide valuable insight into the overall picture of international migration flows. We close by suggesting further improvements for future modeling.