The Determinants of Brain Drain and the Role of Citizenship in Skilled Migration

Alejandro Vega-Muñoz, Paloma González-Gómez-del-Miño and Nicolás Contreras-Barraza ()
Additional contact information
Alejandro Vega-Muñoz: Doctoral School, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28223 Madrid, Spain
Paloma González-Gómez-del-Miño: Facultad de Ciencias Políticas y Sociología, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28223 Madrid, Spain
Nicolás Contreras-Barraza: Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Valparaíso 2340025, Chile

Social Sciences, 2025, vol. 14, issue 3, 1-21

Abstract: Brain drain represents a critical challenge to global development, reflecting structural inequalities and tensions between mobility and rootedness. This study analyzes the determinants of skilled migration in 178 countries (2006–2022) using a regression model based on panel data, identifying six key variables: uneven economic development, the quality of public services, external intervention, voice and accountability, the rule of law, and political stability. Governance, particularly political stability and the rule of law, stands out as crucial for retaining talent, while external interventions and economic inequality exacerbate emigration. From a sociological perspective, migrants are active agents who transform transnational networks, challenging traditional notions of citizenship and belonging. Civil society organizations play a central role by facilitating sociocultural inclusion, mediating resettlement processes, and promoting brain circulation as an alternative to retention-focused models. Additionally, this study highlights the cultural and symbolic dimension of migration, revealing the impact of uprooting on communities of origin. Future research should explore how inclusive policies, digital nomadism, and remittances can reduce structural inequalities, strengthen the connection between migrants and their communities, and advance towards a sustainable and equitable mobility model.

Keywords: brain migration; worldwide governance; structural inequalities; unbalanced development; global dynamics; transnational relations (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: A B N P Y80 Z00 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/14/3/132/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/14/3/132/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jscscx:v:14:y:2025:i:3:p:132-:d:1598023

Access Statistics for this article

Social Sciences is currently edited by Ms. Yvonne Chu

More articles in Social Sciences from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().