Using the 1998 Migration, Gender and Health Survey in Five Regions of Ethiopia, and
multivariate regression techniques, this paper examines the relationship between
internal migration and household living conditions. The analysis finds significant living
condition advantage of permanent and temporary migrants over non-migrants, primarily
linked to migration selectivity by education and non-agricultural income. Once the
independent effects of these variables are controlled, no statistical significant
independent association exists between migration status and living conditions.
Government policies of resettlement in the 1980s and ethnic federalism of the 1990s
may have engendered stress migration and exacerbated poor living outcomes for return
migrants. The resort to migration and/or resettlement as an individual or government
policy response to periodic unfavorable conditions in places of origin is not strongly
supported by this analysis as the key to improved living conditions. Promoting higher
education and opportunities for employment outside the agricultural sector are more
likely to yield improved living conditions in Ethiopia.