Cultural Similarities and Migration Flows: Evidence from 45 Countries

This paper aims to expand the scope of migration research beyond the economic, social, and political perspectives by exploring the role of cultural similarities in migration flows. Drawing data from various sources on language, colonial ties, and values, it uses the gravity model to examine the bilateral migration flows among 45 countries across Asia-Pacific, Europe, and the Americas between 2015 and 2020. It reports three findings about the association between cultural similarities and migration flows. First, countries that share a common official language and similar linguistic roots have higher migration flows among them. Second, it finds that colonial links do not have a positive impact on migration flows. Lastly, countries with similar cultural values on several dimensions show higher migration flows among them. It also demonstrates the direction of migration flows in relation to cultural values. These findings provide awaited insights into the importance of cultural factors in global migration patterns.