The Effect of Education on Migration and Remittances in a Post-Conflict Setting: The Case of Afghanistan

The present study sets out to explore the effect of education on migration and remittance-sending within the post-conflict environment of Afghanistan. The fact that cross-border movement in Afghanistan may have more to do with security concerns than it does with economic prospects may very well change the importance of educational background. The research question to be answered is three-fold: (1) are relatively higher educated Afghans more prone to migrate; (2) are relatively higher educated Afghan migrants more likely to find success at destination; and (3) are those same Afghan migrants more prone to contribute to households in the country of origin through remittance transfers? Aside from the level of education as the main predictive variable, we also incorporate a number of vulnerability-related factors appropriate to a fragile environment like Afghanistan. In order to empirically measure the effect of education, we employ a logit regression model for the propensity to migrate, to be employed at destination, and to remit to households back home; and a tobit regression model for average monthly income and amount of remittances sent. The analysis relies on a unique nationally-represented dataset incorporating some 1,088 return migrants who provide retrospective information regarding their time abroad.