Paul Krugman this morning comments that Europe is doing fine just relative to the United States, and that is certainly true. Nevertheless, it occurs to me that a seldom mention measure of economic success might be net migration rates. One can get such rates from Nationmaster.
The top 50 countries in the World in net migration per capita are:
Rank Countries Amount (top to bottom)
#1 Liberia: 26.86 migrant(s)/1,000 populati
#2 United Arab Emirates: 26.04 migrant(s)/1,000 populati
#3 Cayman Islands: 17.34 migrant(s)/1,000 populati
#4 Kuwait: 16.05 migrant(s)/1,000 populati
#5 Qatar: 13.12 migrant(s)/1,000 populati
#6 San Marino: 10.57 migrant(s)/1,000 populati
#7 Aruba: 10 migrant(s)/1,000 populati
#8 Turks and Caicos Islands: 9.98 migrant(s)/1,000 populati
#9 Bosnia and Herzegovina: 9.65 migrant(s)/1,000 populati
#10 British Virgin Islands: 8.83 migrant(s)/1,000 populati
#11 Luxembourg: 8.64 migrant(s)/1,000 populati
#12 Singapore: 7.98 migrant(s)/1,000 populati
#13 Monaco: 7.65 migrant(s)/1,000 populati
#14 Northern Mariana Islands: 7.64 migrant(s)/1,000 populati
#15 Burundi: 7.13 migrant(s)/1,000 populati
#16 Andorra: 6.42 migrant(s)/1,000 populati
#17 Jordan: 6.11 migrant(s)/1,000 populati
#18 Canada: 5.79 migrant(s)/1,000 populati
#19 Botswana: 5.49 migrant(s)/1,000 populati
#20 Man, Isle of: 5.27 migrant(s)/1,000 populati
#21 Anguilla: 5.12 migrant(s)/1,000 populati
#22 Ireland: 4.82 migrant(s)/1,000 populati
#23 Liechtenstein: 4.73 migrant(s)/1,000 populati
#24 Hong Kong: 4.72 migrant(s)/1,000 populati
#25 Macau: 4.42 migrant(s)/1,000 populati
#26 Guernsey: 3.81 migrant(s)/1,000 populati
#27 Australia: 3.78 migrant(s)/1,000 populati
#28 New Zealand: 3.43 migrant(s)/1,000 populati
#29 Mayotte: 3.35 migrant(s)/1,000 populati
#30 Portugal: 3.31 migrant(s)/1,000 populati
#31 United States: 3.05 migrant(s)/1,000 populati
#32 French Polynesia: 2.81 migrant(s)/1,000 populati
#33 Brunei: 2.79 migrant(s)/1,000 populati
#34 Jersey: 2.74 migrant(s)/1,000 populati
#35 West Bank: 2.71 migrant(s)/1,000 populati
#36 Switzerland: 2.66 migrant(s)/1,000 populati
#37 Netherlands: 2.63 migrant(s)/1,000 populati
#38 Denmark: 2.5 migrant(s)/1,000 populati
#39 Rwanda: 2.41 migrant(s)/1,000 populati
#40 Greece: 2.34 migrant(s)/1,000 populati
#41 Bermuda: 2.34 migrant(s)/1,000 populati
#42 Germany: 2.18 migrant(s)/1,000 populati
#43 United Kingdom: 2.17 migrant(s)/1,000 populati
#44 Angola: 2.14 migrant(s)/1,000 populati
#45 Italy: 2.06 migrant(s)/1,000 populati
#46 Malta: 2.04 migrant(s)/1,000 populati
#47 Austria: 1.91 migrant(s)/1,000 populati
#48 Norway: 1.72 migrant(s)/1,000 populati
#49 Sweden: 1.66 migrant(s)/1,000 populati
#50 Croatia: 1.58 migrant(s)/1,000 populati
Note that the US is only 31st, and that Canada and Australia, two countries with lower incomes, have high net migration rates (although they also have more liberal immigration policies). Only one country of any size in Europe, Portugal, has higher net migration than the US, and it ranks only one place ahead. Migration to Germany, the UK and Italy are about 2/3rds the rate of the US.
I would not make too much of this, but it is an interesting indicator.
yes... but I also don't usually think of Bosnia as an economic powerhouse.
ReplyDeleteI think it is tough to figure out what this means in the context of small population countries. To me a small country is one smaller than Wisconsin.
ReplyDeleteI'd like to control for the identity of the neighbors (the likely migration sources). Libera may be getting a disproportionate number of migrants, for example, just because Sierra Leone is such a mess.
ReplyDeleteA little off topic, but maybe related tangentially: migration to higher income areas within the United States. The latest DataQuick residential home sales numbers - prices and volume shows what we've been expecting: dropping and accelerating sales prices pretty much everywhere.
ReplyDeleteI had predicted though that prices would continue to go up in the higher priced neighbourhoods. They show that while everything else was plunging towards 30% drops in prices, Beverly Hills and Pacific Palisades have actually seen an decrease in sales volume and an increase in median sales price. (Up about 34% in these communities). Seems that those with the resources are crowding themselves into even more and more expensive enclaves and paying for that privilege. To distance themselves from the "crumbling periphery"? Maybe it's just a sign that the current economy has profited a very small few at the expense of a great many others?
Also worthy to note that illegal immigration from So. of the Border has dropped off significantly due to construction falling to near zero, combined with more strenuous border control.
Regarding your numbers -- I'm surprised Denmark isn't crawling with Migrants (tougher laws?).
it's not just a measure of economic desirability but how easy it is to enter. The expansion of EU into east has made it easier for Poles to come to UK. (BTW, they make good plumbers and electricians)
ReplyDeleteNot popular, but they pay taxes and don't take too much benefits.
Immigration policies can distort the figures, as a free market in immigration seldom exists. Permanently moving from the US to Canada for example is quite difficult because of the incompatible health care systems. Canada only allows a relatively few people per year, and they must have some useful skill.
ReplyDeleteWar torn economic disaster type third world countries often have influxes from people fleeing even more disastrous nearby countries. They would prefer to flee to the United States, but have no means to do so. (No money for transportation, no skills to meet immigration policies, etc...)
I liked it.
ReplyDeleteBathmate