Staying for Benefits: The Effect of a Health and Family Planning Program on Out-Migration Patterns in Bangladesh
利用孟加拉国一项健康与计划生育项目的准随机布局，研究发现该项目使男女向外迁移流量降低约15%，且效果在考虑回迁后仍持续，表明福利项目可长期改变人口分布。
There is concern that benefit programs may alter out-migration patterns. We exploit the quasi-random placement of a health and family planning program in Bangladesh to examine changes in out-migration patterns. Using individual-level migration data from 1979–91, we find that the flow of out-migration was approximately 15 percent lower for women and men in the treatment versus comparison area. We find comparable changes in out-migrant stock, showing that effects persisted even after allowing for return migration. Our findings suggest that benefit programs can lead to longer run changes in population, with consequences for program evaluation design and economic development.