Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/315355 
Year of Publication: 
2024
Citation: 
[Journal:] Journal of Development Economics [ISSN:] 1872-6089 [Volume:] 171 [Article No.:] 103311 [Publisher:] Elsevier [Place:] Amsterdam [Year:] 2024 [Pages:] 1-17
Publisher: 
Elsevier, Amsterdam
Abstract: 
Information frictions about benefits of migration can lead to inefficient migration choices. We study the effects of randomly assigned information treatments concerning regional income differentials in Ghana and Uganda to explore participants’ belief updating and changes in internal migration intentions, destination preferences, and actual migration. Treated participants prefer higher income destinations, while effects on intent plausibly follow subjects’ initial under- or overestimation of potential gains, with asymmetric updating propensities. Effects persist for 18 months, and discussions with others about migrating increase, but actual migration does not. Knowledge about income affects intentions and destination choices, but barriers to actual relocation are complex.
Subjects: 
Income differentials
Migration decision
Belief updating
JEL: 
J31
J68
O15
Persistent Identifier of the first edition: 
Creative Commons License: 
cc-by Logo
Document Type: 
Article
Document Version: 
Published Version

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