Factors Influencing Migration from North Bihar: An Application of Logistic Regression Model#

There are numerous economic and non-economic factors behind migration. Migrants are pushed out from their native place due to socio-economic condition. Adversely migrants are pulled into the destinations that offer comparatively high wages and employment opportunities and better living standard, health and educational facilities. Bihar stands next to Uttar Pradesh in out-migration at national level. The purpose of the present paper is to investigate factors influencing out-migration from north Bihar as this region is victim of reoccurring flood causing losses of crops and their household assets. Major socio-economic factors causing migration are analyzed using information collected from 180 migrant and 180 non-migrants from three districts namely; Samastipur, Darbhanga and Madhubani because large scale migration has been observed from these districts. Logistic regression model was applied to assess the factors responsible for migration from the study area. The results revealed that youngster belonging to lower income households and having poor housing condition are found more prone to migrate. On the other hand coefficients of education levels, land holding size, marital status were found positive and statistically significant indicating educated people were more prone to migrate as they had poor access to employment in the area under investigation. The coefficient of land holding size was positive and statistically significant pointed out that an increase in size of landholding of household increases the probability to migrate which contradicts the general assumption that poor households are more prone to migrate, does not hold true, particularly for the area under study. It is worth to mention here that migration from landowning households increased during last few decades, on account of stagnant agricultural production, crop losses due to frequent flood and poor infrastructure for agricultural production and un-availability of non-farm activities pushing youngster of even large farm households to outside of Bihar.