Diaspora and Sustainable Economic Development in Lebanon: New Survey‐Informed Analysis

Aleksandr V. Gevorkyan and Samar Issa

Review of Development Economics, 2026, vol. 30, issue 1, 331-353

Abstract: Leveraging an original Lebanese Diaspora Online Survey, this paper explores diaspora‐to‐homeland social and economic engagement in the unique context of Lebanon, a small country with a disproportionately large diaspora, shaped by a history of volatile conflicts and recurring political and economic crises. In addition to conceptual conclusions, the paper's econometric analysis relies on cluster and factor analysis of the survey data. The results show that diaspora's financial involvement is positively related to individual income, age, and connection with Lebanon. The article also conjectures that the education level has a marginal positive effect on monetary donations but has a strong effect on the non‐monetary relationship with the ancestral homeland. Other demographic factors play a role as well, though minor. On balance, the survey's outcomes point to deeply rooted structural and network determinants in the diaspora and Lebanon interlocking. Despite one country focus, several of the outcomes in this paper are relevant in applied diaspora‐homeland engagements elsewhere in small developing economies. As such, this paper contributes to the rising literature on diaspora economics and sustainable economic development, exploring revealed motivations in a broad diaspora‐for‐homeland development framework.

Date: 2026
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