The Impact of International Migration on Economic Wealth in Advanced Economies: Evidence from G7 Countries

Year 2026, Volume: 6 Issue: 1 , 59 - 75 , 15.04.2026

Kayhan Öcal

https://izlik.org/JA96AN98WG

Abstract

This study examines the relationship between international migration and economic wealth in advanced economies by adopting a multidimensional perspective. Unlike much of the existing literature, which primarily focuses on single indicators such as GDP or income per capita, this paper employs the Economic Wealth Index (EWI) to capture economic, social, and institutional dimensions of economic performance in a unified framework. Using panel data for G7 countries over the period 2000–2020, the analysis investigates whether international net migration is associated with changes in economic wealth. The EWI is constructed through Principal Component Analysis based on a set of economic, social, and institutional indicators. The empirical analysis is conducted using a fixed-effects panel regression model, with Driscoll–Kraay standard errors applied to address heteroskedasticity, serial correlation, and cross-sectional dependence. The findings indicate a positive and statistically significant relationship between international net migration and economic wealth in G7 economies. Specifically, increases in net migration are associated with higher EWI scores, suggesting that migration may contribute to the broader economic capacity of advanced countries beyond conventional growth measures. Overall, the results highlight the importance of evaluating the economic effects of migration through multidimensional indicators and suggest that, in advanced economies with relatively selective migration regimes, international migration can be linked to improvements in long-term economic wealth.

Keywords

International Migration , Economic Wealth Index (EWI) , G7 Countries , Principal Component Analysis (PCA) , Panel Regression

Ethical Statement

This study does not require ethics committee approval, as it is based solely on secondary data obtained from publicly available international databases. The study does not involve human participants, personal data, surveys, interviews, or experimental procedures.

Uluslararası Göçün Gelişmiş Ekonomilerde Ekonomik Zenginlik Üzerindeki Etkisi: G7 Ülkelerinden Bulgular

https://izlik.org/JA96AN98WG

Abstract

Bu çalışma, uluslararası göç ile ekonomik zenginlik arasındaki ilişkiyi gelişmiş ekonomiler bağlamında çok boyutlu bir bakış açısıyla incelemektedir. Mevcut literatürde göçün ekonomik etkileri çoğunlukla Gayrisafi Yurtiçi Hasıla veya kişi başına gelir gibi tekil göstergeler üzerinden ele alınırken, bu çalışmada ekonomik performansın ekonomik, sosyal ve kurumsal boyutlarını birlikte yansıtan Ekonomik Zenginlik Endeksi (EZE; Economic Wealth Index – EWI) kullanılmaktadır. Çalışmada, G7 ülkeleri için 2000–2020 dönemini kapsayan panel veri seti aracılığıyla uluslararası net göç ile ekonomik zenginlik arasındaki ilişki analiz edilmektedir.
EZE, ekonomik, sosyal ve kurumsal göstergelerden oluşan bir veri seti kullanılarak Temel Bileşenler Analizi yöntemiyle oluşturulmuştur. Ampirik analizde sabit etkiler panel regresyon modeli tercih edilmiş; heteroskedastisite, otokorelasyon ve yatay kesit bağımlılığı sorunlarını gidermek amacıyla Driscoll–Kraay standart hataları kullanılmıştır. Elde edilen bulgular, uluslararası net göç ile ekonomik zenginlik arasında pozitif ve istatistiksel olarak anlamlı bir ilişki olduğunu göstermektedir. Buna göre net göçteki artışlar, G7 ülkelerinde Ekonomik Zenginlik Endeksi değerlerinin yükselmesiyle ilişkilidir. Genel olarak bulgular, göçün ekonomik etkilerinin yalnızca geleneksel büyüme göstergeleriyle sınırlı olmadığını; gelişmiş ekonomilerde görece seçici göç rejimleri altında, uluslararası göçün uzun dönemli ekonomik zenginliğe katkı sağlayabileceğini göstermektedir.

Keywords

Uluslararası Göç , Ekonomik Zenginlik Endeksi (EZE) , G7 Ülkeleri , Temel Bileşenler Analizi (PCA) , Panel Regresyon Analizi

Ethical Statement

Bu çalışma, kamuya açık uluslararası veri tabanlarından elde edilen ikincil veriler kullanılarak gerçekleştirilmiştir. Çalışma kapsamında insan katılımcılara, kişisel verilere, anket, mülakat veya deneysel bir uygulamaya yer verilmediğinden etik kurul onayı gerekmemektedir.

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