Migration and Social Connections: Evidence from 145 Senegalese Villages

Abstract

Out-migration is a common feature of rural life in low- and middle-income countries, yet its relationship to social networks in origin communities remains underexplored. Drawing on original data from 9,355 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. By shifting attention from destination- to origin-area networks, the paper broadens the understanding of migration’s social impacts.