Migration dynamics and nutritional outcomes in a lower middle-income country: evidence from Vietnam

Migration is a significant economic phenomenon in developing countries, and remittances from migrant workers have been recognized as a crucial source of income for households. This study examines the impact of different types of migration—short-term versus long-term and labor-related versus non-labor-related migration—on household nutritional consumption in Vietnam. Using panel data from the Vietnam Household Living Standards Survey (VHLSS) between 2016 and 2018, the analysis focuses on how migration influences household consumption patterns, particularly for purchased food, home-produced food, and gifts. Unlike previous studies, this research addresses the issue of poorly defined food group, particularly food away from home (FAFH), by using inflation-adjusted monetary values. Both linear and Poisson regressions with household fixed effects are employed to control for time-invariant unobservable factors. The findings suggest that while short-term migration is associated with a decrease in household food consumption, particularly in home-produced food, long-term migration significantly increases both nutritional intake and household food production. Furthermore, households with long-term labor migrants demonstrate a greater ability to diversify food sources and enhance their overall dietary quality. These results underline the importance of remittances and migration patterns in shaping household consumption behaviors and nutritional welfare in developing economies.