Brain Circulation: The Educational Profile of Return Migrants.

Area of Science:

• Demography
• Migration Studies
• Human Capital Development

Background:

• Nations increasingly compete for skilled individuals, yet data on return migration to developing countries is scarce.
• Limited empirical studies exist due to a lack of education-specific migration flow data.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify return migration flows by education and age group globally.
• To analyze the educational and age characteristics of return migrants.
• To understand the human capital implications of return migration.

Main Methods:

• Utilized IPUMS census microdata to derive education- and age-specific migration flow data.
• Analyzed data from 60 countries, representing 70% of the global population.
• Examined the educational selectivity and age profile of return migrants.

Main Results:

• Return migrants constitute a substantial portion of in-migration, particularly in Africa and Latin America.
• In most countries, return migrants possess higher education levels than the native-born population.
• Young adults are key drivers of the educational selectivity observed in return migration, especially in Africa and Asia.

Conclusions:

• Return migration represents a significant flow, often bringing valuable human capital.
• Young adult returnees are particularly important for enhancing educational levels in their home countries.
• Further research should quantify the net impact of return migration on national education levels.