Relative deprivation and labour displacements in Brazil in the period 1980-2010: the interactions between poverty, income inequality, and migration

Abstract

The study of migration and development interactions is essential to understand regional growth trajectories. The aim of this paper is to identify the influence of regional poverty rates and income inequality levels to the individual migration decision in Brazil between 1980 and 2010. To achieve this goal, we analyze data from demographic census, provided by IBGE, using logistic models. Data analysis shows that migration patterns in Brazil are extremely related with the regional levels of poverty and income inequality. The higher the regional levels of poverty and income inequality, the higher the feeling of individual relative deprivation and, consequently, the higher the probability of individual migration. Displacements are a strategy to minimize the risk of household’s income decrease.