Standard of Living of Migrant and Non-Migrant Households in Kerala: a Comparative Study Based on Migration Survey 2018

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the differences in standard of living between households with migrants and households without migrants in Kerala, one of the most remittance-receiving states in India. Data from the Kerala Migration Survey (2018) was used for the study. The survey sampled 15,000 households, including both households with migrants and without migrants. Cross tabulation, standard living index, and ordered logistic regression analysis were used to examine the difference in living standards between households with migrants and without migrants. A total of 28.4% of households were with migrant and 71.6% were without migrant in this study. The proportion of households without migrants that fell below the poverty line (42.38%) was higher than the proportion of households with migrants (30.13%). A significant percentage of households with migrants (16.3% and 38.7%) lived in houses categorized as “luxurious” and “very good,” respectively, compared to households without migrants (10.4% and 27.8%, respectively). In addition, households with migrants allocated a larger budget for house construction, with costs exceeding ₹5 lakhs, compared to households without migrants. The proportion of households with migrants that owned consumer durables such as vehicles, home appliances, and electronic gadgets was also higher than their counterparts without migrants. In terms of standard of living, households with migrants had a significantly higher proportion of households with a better living standard than households without migrants. Further, households with migrants had a significantly higher likelihood of having a better standard of living than households without migrants (AOR: 1.729; CI: 1.609–1.858). This study highlights the significant positive impact of international migration on the living standard of households, including better housing quality and higher levels of ownership of consumer durables. These findings suggest that international migration can be a positive force for development, leading to improved standards of living for both households with migrants and non-migrants.