Determinates of Migration from and Within Bangladesh: A Household Level Analysis

Abstract

The number of international migrants is continuously and rapidly growing worldwide. It increased to 244 million in 2015, up from 222 million in 2010 and 173 million in 2000. In Bangladesh, there is lack of sufficient resources and facilities to provide all its people with satisfactory working, earning, studying, health care, business and other opportunities, so, people migrate either simply from rural to urban, rural to rural and urban to urban destinations within the country or from the country to abroad either for short periods or for long duration. Lack of effective out migration policies, weak governance, and a hostile investment climate are all significant challenges to the sector's growth and attainment of the SDGs. The aim of this paper is to explore some ‘household level determinants’ for migration in Bangladesh when migration is internal and also external. Among the found determinants, researchers would like to know which determinants are more important and thus find the important reasons behind migration of the Bangladeshi people, thus enabling the proposing of policy recommendations. In the study the cross-section data of Bangladesh Household Income and Expenditure Survey (HIES) 2010 was used. In the survey data, 612 Primary Sampling Unit (PSU) were selected systematically from 16 Strata and a total of 12,240 households was present. Probit model was used to analyze the determinants of the household migration decision. The study found that age of household head, farm area, value of other assets, number of young dependents on family head, economically favored districts are significant determinants of migration. Regression results shows that increase in ‘farm area’ and ‘value of other assets’ increases the probability of both internal and external migration. Households having loans are more likely to take a decision for internal migration. The study found that external migration is more popular among Bangladeshi households than internal district to district migration. In case of both internal and external migration, probability of migration is greater from rural area than from urban area. Oil rich Middle East countries and OECD countries are the main destinations for external migrants and earnings not very attractive as most migrants work there as unskilled, semi-skilled or low-skilled workers. Government agencies should take steps to provide poor or insolvent households with appropriate information and guidance. Loan facilities for these people could be arranged so that for going to a job outside the country they need not sell their last assets.