Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/149188 
Year of Publication: 
2016
Series/Report no.: 
IZA Discussion Papers No. 10329
Publisher: 
Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA), Bonn
Abstract: 
For at least half a century, and building on observations first made a century earlier, the gravity model has been the most commonly‐used paradigm for understanding gross migration flows between regions. This model owes its success to, firstly, its intuitive consistency with migration theories; secondly, ease of estimation in its simplest form; and, thirdly, goodness of fit in most applications. While fitting gravity models of aggregate migration flows started taking backstage to microdata analysis in the 1980s, a recent comeback has resulted from increasing applications to international migration and from the emergence of statistical theories appropriate for studying spatial interaction. In this paper we review the status quo and argue for greater integration of internal and international migration modelling. Additionally we revisit the issues of parameter stability and distance deterrence measurement by means of a New Zealand case study. We argue that gravity modelling of migration has a promising future in a multi‐regional stochastic population projection system – an area in which the model has been to date surprisingly underutilised. We conclude with outlining current challenges and opportunities in this field.
Subjects: 
gravity model
internal migration
international migration
population projection
JEL: 
F22
J61
R23
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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