Monday 17 November 2014

In search of Happiness: The Link between Migration, Economic growth and Happiness



By George Awalla (georgeawalla@gmail.com )

Are people happier when they move to another country? Migration and happiness hasn’t been studied much. The few available studies have concentrated mainly in the developed countries. The World Migration Report 2013 (WMR 2013) released by the International Organization of Migration (IOM) was a whiff of fresh air. It is a candid and lively report that shows that most migrants find themselves in a situation of lowered social status when they move.  They generally remain less happy than the native population even many years after migration.

Some migrants —despite being economically successful — may nevertheless find their relative position in the destination country lower than it was in their country of origin. Those with good educational qualifications and careers prior to migration may find that these achievements are not recognized in the destination countries. They may encounter discrimination and language barrier. Separation from family and the challenge of adjusting to a new culture also leads to lower levels of happiness as compared to the native population.

Comparing happiness levels among migrants and native population in destination countries is perhaps not the best way of assessing whether migrants’ happiness has changed as a consequence of moving to another country. Apart from anything else, there may be engrained differences in the happiness levels of populations in different countries which could skew findings. The well-being of migrant families back at home contributes to the migrant’s happiness levels abroad. The circumstances that led to migration are also critical in regards to well-being or happiness of the migrant. Refugees and displaced persons find bigger challenges to surmount than individuals who migrate by choice, for economic reasons or pleasure.

Migration and happiness: Does happiness levels differ for migrants from developed and developing countries (Image Credit. www. timesofisrael.com)
  
WMR 2013 reaffirms the divide between the rich and poor: the North - South divide. Whether migration improves well-being depends on where the migrants come from and where they go to. Migrants moving from North-North appear to have the easiest experience. These migrants have the most positive outcomes in multiple dimensions for well-being, such as life satisfaction, emotional positivity, financial security, personal safety, community attachment and health. 

By contrast, South-South migrants appear to face more significant challenges, they are the least optimistic about their lives and find it difficult to achieve as satisfactory standard of living. Furthermore, migration seems to make little difference to them financially. These migrants tend to lack confidence in the institution of the country they have moved to and tend to be troubled by their health — personal safety and health are major concerns for them.

Those migrating from North–South enjoy greater financial prowess; most of them are retirees or those who want to establish businesses in warmer climates as a safety net for old age. They also struggle to make the transition but they nevertheless end up better off financially having migrated than those who stayed home.

South-south migrants face alot of challenges and hence are less happy than North-North migrants (Image Credit: www.usatoday.com)

As the sun sets on the MDGs and rises on the Sustainable Development Goals post 2015, there is growing debate on whether and how migration gets integrated into the development agenda within the new global framework. A much stronger evidence base is needed to understand better the linkages between migration, development and happiness. The World Migration Report 2013 recommends the development of an ongoing ‘Global Migration Barometer’ survey to regularly monitor the well-being and happiness of migrants across the globe. It would be nice to migrate if you know the facts.

Researchers have also shown deep interest in exploring how income affects happiness or personal wellbeing. Some researchers contend that – at least above a certain threshold – an ever-higher income contributes little to happiness. Findings from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the UK Government’s Measuring National Wellbeing Programme (MNW) found that despite the increasing financial hardships since the 2008 economic crisis, levels of self-reported life satisfaction have remained broadly stable throughout the last decade. 

It is not the absolute purchasing power of income that matters, but the way it embodies and signals status. Those with higher incomes are happier than those with less, partly due to ‘social comparisons’ — the ability to compare favourably with others, and to enjoy a perceived higher status. Researchers have also found that comparisons tend to be relatively ‘local’; people compare their wealth and status with people around them, rather than with those from different contexts or countries. 

Inspirational thinking is another factor. People continue to pursue higher income whether poor or relatively well off (rich).  Those who gain higher incomes soon start to compare themselves with those in a higher income bracket instead of gaining satisfaction. The ‘keeping up with Joneses’ mentality  quietly creeps in, and the desire for ever more income becomes insatiable, and the individuals revert back to previous levels of wellbeing and happiness.

In the development context, these studies suggest a broad alignment between Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and happiness — for instance, Western Europe is higher up the scale than Africa – but correlation is not absolute and there are anomalies with developing countries, such as, India and  Mexico being similar to or higher than Japan in their happiness ranking. In 2010, Easterlin R.A and fellow researchers wrote a scientific paper titled The Happiness – Income Paradox Revisited that was published by the National Academy of Sciences.  The researchers said that over the long term (more than 10 years), economic growth does not bring greater happiness. China, in particular, reportedly has massively grown in GDP in recent times but happiness has remained unchanged. 

In 2003, immediately after the NARC government came to power, Kenyans were reported to be happier and more optimistic although there was neither a significant change in the shillings in their pockets nor plates of ugali in their homes. Next door, Tanzania has seen relative growth in happiness despite little or no significant economic growth.

Although there is contradictory evidence from different studies, the overriding message seems to be the same; as far as the world’s poor countries are concerned, economic development is a prerequisite in terms of meeting the basic needs and rights of citizens and enabling them to lead fulfilled lives with greater happiness and well-being.

Other well researched dimensions of happiness include health, social networks, familial relations and employment.  Having a job, a spouse or a partner are particularly important happiness factors as well as participating in social activities. Being religious is good for happiness; it may be cool. Another key determinant is the perception that one’s health is good (subjective health). Age is also a critical factor – younger people are happiest, followed by old people. Mid-life seems to be a crisis period – long drawn sulky faces.  No doubt happiness is a combination of both intrinsic and external factors.

About the author
Mr. George Awalla is the Head of Programmes at VSO Jitolee, an affiliate of the international VSO Federation whose prime mandate is to promote volunteerism in tackling global poverty as well as enhancing the participation of disadvantaged members of the society in political and socio-economic development. He is also a social commentator and a columnist with the Governor Magazine; a monthly publication that covers county issues with a fresh perspective



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