How migration shapes local networks: Evidence from 145 Senegalese villages

Bernd Beber, Cara Ebert, Niklas Murken and Zara Riaz

No 1198, Ruhr Economic Papers from RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-University Bochum, TU Dortmund University, University of Duisburg-Essen

Abstract: Out-migration is a common feature of rural life in the Global South, yet its effects on social networks in origin communities remain underexplored. Drawing on original data from nearly 10,000 households in 145 villages in Senegal, this paper presents observational evidence linking household migration status to social ties in sending areas. Migrant households maintain significantly more local social connections than non-migrant households, driven by stronger ties among migrants and by inward links to migrant households. This heightened connectivity cannot be explained solely by economic resources; instead, it appears to be shaped by non-material factors such as access to information. These findings do not support the hypothesis of disintegration of rural communities due to migration. However, social networks are a central feature of rural life and by shifting attention from destination- to origin-area networks, the paper broadens the understanding of migration's social impacts.

Keywords: Migration; Network Analysis; Household Networks; Senegal (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:zbw:rwirep:341104

DOI: 10.4419/96973383

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