Eight Questions about Brain Drain

Gibson, John; McKenzie, David

dc.creator	Gibson, John
dc.creator	McKenzie, David
dc.date	2012-03-19T18:02:21Z
dc.date	2012-03-19T18:02:21Z
dc.date	2011-05-01
dc.date.accessioned	2023-02-17T20:56:39Z
dc.date.available	2023-02-17T20:56:39Z
dc.identifier	http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/main?menuPK=64187510&pagePK=64193027&piPK=64187937&theSitePK=523679&menuPK=64187510&searchMenuPK=64187283&siteName=WDS&entityID=000158349_20110524155759
dc.identifier	http://hdl.handle.net/10986/3431
dc.identifier.uri	http://localhost:8080/xmlui/handle/CUHPOERS/244395
dc.description	High-skilled emigration is an emotive issue that in popular discourse is often referred to as brain drain, conjuring images of extremely negative impacts on developing countries. Recent discussions of brain gain, diaspora effects, and other advantages of migration have been used to argue against this, but much of the discussion has been absent of evidence. This paper builds upon a new wave of empirical research to answer eight key questions underlying much of the brain drain debate: 1) What is brain drain? 2) Why should economists care about it? 3) Is brain drain increasing? 4) Is there a positive relationship between skilled and unskilled migration? 5) What makes brain drain more likely? 6) Does brain gain exist? 7) Do high-skilled workers remit, invest, and share knowledge back home? and 8) What do we know about the fiscal and production externalities of brain drain?
dc.language	English
dc.relation	Policy Research working paper ; no. WPS 5668
dc.rights	CC BY 3.0 IGO
dc.rights	http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/igo/
dc.rights	World Bank
dc.subject	ADVANCED DEGREES
dc.subject	AGED
dc.subject	ANNUAL REMITTANCES
dc.subject	BRAIN DRAIN
dc.subject	BRAIN GAIN
dc.subject	BRAIN WASTE
dc.subject	CAPITA INCOME
dc.subject	CAPITAL FLOWS
dc.subject	CAREER
dc.subject	CAREERS
dc.subject	CENSUS DATA
dc.subject	CHILD MORTALITY
dc.subject	CHILD MORTALITY RATES
dc.subject	CITIZEN
dc.subject	CIVIC PARTICIPATION
dc.subject	COUNTRY PAIR
dc.subject	DEFERRED COST RECOVERY
dc.subject	DEGREES
dc.subject	DEMOCRACY
dc.subject	DESTINATION COUNTRY
dc.subject	DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
dc.subject	DEVELOPMENT POLICY
dc.subject	DIASPORA
dc.subject	EARNINGS OF IMMIGRANTS
dc.subject	EDUCATED MIGRANTS
dc.subject	EDUCATION SYSTEMS
dc.subject	EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT
dc.subject	EDUCATIONAL SYSTEMS
dc.subject	EFFECTS ON DEVELOPMENT
dc.subject	EMIGRATION
dc.subject	EMIGRATION LEVELS
dc.subject	ENTREPRENEURIAL ACTIVITIES
dc.subject	EXCHANGE RATE
dc.subject	EXCHANGE RATES
dc.subject	FAMILIES
dc.subject	FAMILY REUNIFICATION
dc.subject	FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT
dc.subject	FOREIGN LANGUAGES
dc.subject	FOREIGN STUDENTS
dc.subject	FOREIGN WORKERS
dc.subject	FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT
dc.subject	FURTHER EDUCATION
dc.subject	FUTURE RESEARCH
dc.subject	GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT
dc.subject	GLOBAL HEALTH
dc.subject	GLOBAL POPULATION
dc.subject	GLOBAL REMITTANCE
dc.subject	GRADUATE EDUCATION
dc.subject	GROSS NATIONAL INCOME
dc.subject	HEALTH EFFECTS
dc.subject	HEALTH OUTCOMES
dc.subject	HEALTH WORKERS
dc.subject	HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES
dc.subject	HIGH SKILLED MIGRATION
dc.subject	HIGHER EDUCATION
dc.subject	HIGHER INCOMES
dc.subject	HIGHLY SKILLED EMIGRANTS
dc.subject	HIGHLY SKILLED INDIVIDUALS
dc.subject	HIV
dc.subject	HOME COUNTRIES
dc.subject	HOME COUNTRY
dc.subject	HOST SOCIETY
dc.subject	HUMAN CAPITAL
dc.subject	HUMAN CAPITAL FORMATION
dc.subject	HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
dc.subject	HUMAN RESOURCES
dc.subject	HUMAN RIGHTS
dc.subject	ILLEGAL MIGRANTS
dc.subject	IMMIGRANT
dc.subject	IMMIGRANTS
dc.subject	IMMIGRATION
dc.subject	IMMIGRATION POLICIES
dc.subject	INCOME TAX
dc.subject	INFANT
dc.subject	INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
dc.subject	INTERNAL BRAIN DRAIN
dc.subject	INTERNAL MIGRATION
dc.subject	INTERNATIONAL MIGRANTS
dc.subject	INTERNATIONAL MIGRATION
dc.subject	INTERNATIONAL TRADE
dc.subject	JOB OPPORTUNITIES
dc.subject	LABOR FORCE
dc.subject	LABOR MARKET
dc.subject	LABOR MARKETS
dc.subject	LARGE POPULATION
dc.subject	LEVEL OF EDUCATION
dc.subject	LIQUIDITY
dc.subject	LIQUIDITY CONSTRAINTS
dc.subject	LITERATURE
dc.subject	LIVING STANDARDS
dc.subject	MACROECONOMIC LEVEL
dc.subject	MASTERS DEGREES
dc.subject	MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS
dc.subject	MEDICAL SCHOOL
dc.subject	MIGRANT
dc.subject	MIGRANT NETWORKS
dc.subject	MIGRANT STOCK
dc.subject	MIGRANT-SENDING COUNTRIES
dc.subject	MIGRANTS
dc.subject	MIGRATION
dc.subject	MIGRATION COSTS
dc.subject	MIGRATION DATA
dc.subject	MIGRATION DECISIONS
dc.subject	MIGRATION FLOWS
dc.subject	MIGRATION POLICY
dc.subject	MINORITY
dc.subject	NATIONALS
dc.subject	NORTH MIGRATION
dc.subject	NURSE
dc.subject	NURSES
dc.subject	NURSING
dc.subject	OPEN ACCESS
dc.subject	PANDEMIC
dc.subject	PAPERS
dc.subject	PATIENTS
dc.subject	PHYSICIANS
dc.subject	POLICY CONCERN
dc.subject	POLICY DISCUSSIONS
dc.subject	POLICY RESEARCH
dc.subject	POLICY RESEARCH WORKING PAPER
dc.subject	POLITICAL INSTABILITY
dc.subject	POPULATION CENSUSES
dc.subject	POPULATION SIZE
dc.subject	PRESS RELEASE
dc.subject	PRIMARY EDUCATION
dc.subject	PRIVATE EDUCATION
dc.subject	PRIVATE SECTOR
dc.subject	PRIVATE SECTOR DEVELOPMENT
dc.subject	PROFESSIONAL EMIGRATION
dc.subject	PROFESSORS
dc.subject	PROGRESS
dc.subject	QUALITY EDUCATION
dc.subject	RECIPIENT COUNTRY
dc.subject	REMITTANCE
dc.subject	REMITTANCE DATA
dc.subject	REMITTANCES
dc.subject	RETURN MIGRATION
dc.subject	ROLE OF MIGRATION
dc.subject	RURAL AREAS
dc.subject	SCIENTIST
dc.subject	SCIENTISTS
dc.subject	SECONDARY EDUCATION
dc.subject	SECONDARY SCHOOLING
dc.subject	SECONDARY SCHOOLS
dc.subject	SELECTIVE IMMIGRATION
dc.subject	SEND REMITTANCES
dc.subject	SKILL COMPOSITION
dc.subject	SKILL LEVEL
dc.subject	SKILL LEVELS
dc.subject	SKILLED EMIGRANTS
dc.subject	SKILLED LABOR
dc.subject	SKILLED LABOR FORCE
dc.subject	SKILLED MIGRANTS
dc.subject	SKILLED OCCUPATIONS
dc.subject	SKILLED PROFESSIONALS
dc.subject	SKILLED WORKER
dc.subject	SKILLED WORKERS
dc.subject	SOCIAL SCIENTISTS
dc.subject	SOCIAL WELFARE
dc.subject	SPOUSES
dc.subject	STUDENT LOAN
dc.subject	STUDENT LOAN PAYMENTS
dc.subject	STUDENT LOAN PROGRAMS
dc.subject	SUPPLY ELASTICITY
dc.subject	TEACHER
dc.subject	TEACHERS
dc.subject	TERTIARY EDUCATION
dc.subject	TOLERANCE
dc.subject	UNEMPLOYMENT
dc.subject	UNIVERSITY DEGREE
dc.subject	UNIVERSITY GRADUATES
dc.subject	UNIVERSITY TRAINING
dc.subject	UNSKILLED LABOR
dc.subject	UNSKILLED MIGRATION
dc.subject	UNSKILLED WORKERS
dc.subject	USE OF REMITTANCES
dc.subject	VACCINATION
dc.subject	VIOLENCE
dc.subject	WORKER MIGRATION
dc.subject	WORKFORCE
dc.subject	WORKING MIGRANTS
dc.subject	WORLD POPULATION
dc.subject	WORLD POPULATION GROWTH
dc.title	Eight Questions about Brain Drain
dc.type	Publications & Research :: Policy Research Working Paper
dc.coverage	The World Region
dc.coverage	The World Region