ABSTRACT
The objective of this chapter is to understand the role of migration in Kerala's economic inequality: whether migration causes inequality in living standards between migrant and non-migrant households, by using a Standard Of Living Index (SOLI). The Centre for Development Studies (CDS), Thiruvanathapuram, Kerala, conducts periodic Kerala Migration Surveys (KMSs) to monitor the current status of emigration from and return emigration to Kerala. Around 6 per cent of total inequality in asset-based standard of living in Kerala is due to inequality between migrant and non migrant households. Thus, inequalities between migrant and non-migrant households do contribute to total inequality but by a small amount. More importantly, migration's contribution to inequality has declined in the past one decade though marginally. However, even if the effect of migration on inequality was small in comparison to other unexplained factors, panel data analysis showed that its role in inequality was significant.
