International Migration and Human Development: A Cross-National Analysis of Less-Developed Countries, 1970-2005

Matthew R. Sanderson, Lehigh University

Contemporary levels of international migration into developing countries are raising new and important questions regarding the consequences of immigration for human welfare. However, there is little systematic cross-national evidence of whether, or how, international migration affects development outcomes in migrant-receiving countries in the developing world. This paper addresses this gap by assessing the impact of international migration on the human development index and two related demographic outcomes: fertility rates and infant mortality rates. A series of panel models are estimated using a sample of developing countries for the period, 1970-2005. Preliminary results indicate that higher levels of international migration are associated with lower scores on the human development index, higher infant mortality rates, and higher fertility rates.