Does Migration Pay Off in Later Life? Income and Subjective Well-Being of Older Migrants in Europe

Stefan Gruber,Gregor Sand

doi:10.1007/s11205-020-02502-9

Stefan Gruber, Gregor Sand

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-020-02502-9

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Abstract

This study examines whether intra-European migration pays off in terms of income and subjective well-being (SWB) for migrants aged 50 + who are now growing old abroad and in what way their SWB is associated with their relative income position. Using panel data from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe allows us to go beyond the classical comparison with the native reference group and draw on information about respondents who stayed in the place of origin (‘stayers’). Our findings indicate that migration does pay off in later life. Compared to similar stayers, migrants have higher income and higher SWB levels. Furthermore, we find that older migrants’ SWB is positively associated with their relative income position for those with an income above the income of both stayers in the origin and natives in the destination country.

Highlights

Within the last decades, an ever-growing number of people all over Europe have settled down in places other than their places of origin
While migrants originating from countries such as the Czech Republic, Croatia, Italy, and Portugal have considerably higher mean values of CASP than stayers, there is no difference for Austria, Denmark, or Sweden
Regarding the relative income position, while 25 percent of migrants have an income below the reference income of stayers and natives, 45 percent have an income equal or above the income of both reference groups

Summary

Introduction

An ever-growing number of people all over Europe have settled down in places other than their places of origin. Even though the individual driving forces of migration may differ, the majority of persons who migrate to another country share a common goal: the improvement of their economic living conditions and their well-being. We know little about how these migrants fare in later life. Since the share of migrants has grown continuously among the older population in many countries of the Western hemisphere, migration and aging have become two intertwined research topics (King et al 2017). As King et al (2014) note, too little research exists exploring the ‘intersectionalities’ of aging, including those emerging in a migratory setting

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