Published Online:April 2025
Product Name:The IUP Journal of Applied Economics
Product Type:Article
Product Code:IJAE030225
DOI:10.71329/IUPJAE/2025.24.2.55-82
Author Name:Abdul Rasheed M, Shibinu S and Mohamed Haseeb N
Availability:YES
Subject/Domain:Economics
Download Format:PDF
Pages:55-82
This study examines the impact of emigration on the economic outcomes of migrant households in Kerala, specifically focusing on asset holdings and standard of living, with an emphasis on migrants to the United States. The study explores how migration contributes to wealth accumulation and improvements in the standard of living. The findings reveal that migration significantly improves asset holdings and the standard of living of migrant households, primarily through remittances and enhanced economic opportunities abroad. Migrant households demonstrate higher levels of wealth accumulation and standard of living compared to non-migrant households, indicating a clear positive impact on their financial stability and overall wellbeing. Notably, the analysis shows no significant differences in the standard of living among different religious communities within the migrant group, suggesting that factors such as education, occupation and migration networks play a more substantial role than religious affiliation in shaping economic outcomes.
The history of migration can be viewed as the history of the entire world. Since the beginning of time, people have been migrating (Shibinu, 2020). While the concept of migration has changed over time, its definition is still debated (Clark, 1986). However, it is widely accepted that migration entails geographic or spatial mobility between two locations, typically involving a shift in domicile from the origin to the destination (UN, 1958). In the modern era, human mobility plays a pivotal role in the global economy.