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Effect of Actual and Perceived Violence on Internal Migration: Evidence from Mexico’s Drug War Cover

Effect of Actual and Perceived Violence on Internal Migration: Evidence from Mexico’s Drug War

Open Access
|May 2020

Figures & Tables

Table 1

Descriptive statistics on migration data

ImmigrationEmigrationNet migration variation
P1P2P3P1P2P3P1–P2P2–P3P1–P3
Mean59,99482,70881,90559,99482,70881,9050.150.020.55
Standard deviation59,46581,64178,42275,865105,98189,8731.091.461.28
Min16,62823,41720,0778,56214,23616,064–3.36–5.35–1.58
Max323,378464,284403,100382,622588,895444,8752.442.963.90

[i] Notes: P1 denotes period 1: 2000–2005. P2 denotes period 2: 2005–2010. P3 denotes period 3: 2010–2015.

Figure 1

Classification of Mexican states by (internal) net migration condition and period.

Notes: Positive net migration refers to a greater inflow of migrants (compared with the outflow) into a state. The number expresses the relative change in net migration (compared with the period 2000–2005). Data of this figure are provided in Appendix B.

Table 2

Descriptive statistics on homicide data

Average homicidesAHRAHR variation
P1P2P3P1P2P3P1–P2P2–P3P1–P3
Mean3134937310.1500.2410.3090.4720.5061.158
Standard deviation371.6578.9720.30.0830.2560.2450.8080.6041.395
Min2338500.0370.0340.036−0.311−0.374−0.099
Max1,9262,7742,8890.3481.3111.0943.5191.9556.920

[i] Notes: P1 denotes period 1: 2000–2005. P2 denotes period 2: 2005–2010. P3 denotes period 3: 2010–2015. AHR, Average homicide rate.

Figure 2

Homicide rate (per 1,000 people), by state and period.

Figure 3

Homicides rate (per 1,000 people) in Mexican states (yearly average), by period.

Note: Numbers in map refer to relative change in homicide rate (compared with the period 2000–2005). Data of this figure are provided in Appendix C.

Figure 4

Net migration (in thousands) and homicide rates in Mexican states by period.

Note: C stands for slope coefficient and S.E. for standard error of fitting curve.

Figure 5

Immigration and homicide rates (per 1,000 people) in Mexican states, by period.

Note: C stands for slope coefficient and S.E. for standard error of fitting curve.

Table 3

Gravity equation estimates (OLS, PPML, and GME)

OLS 2FEPPML 2FEGME 2FEGME 3FE
Log homicide rate (destination)–0.125–0.019–0.122–0.117
(2.45)*(2.52)*(4.68)**(6.13)**
Log homicide rate (origin)0.0650.0120.0660.092
(2.70)*(3.35)**(2.56)*(4.81)**
Log distance–0.15–0.014–0.152–0.913
(4.90)**(2.44)*(8.40)**(19.53)**
Log GDP (destination)0.370.0330.3670.465
(1.63)(0.84)(3.06)**(5.28)**
Log GDP (origin)0.3420.0670.3570.266
(1.75)(2.02)*(2.99)**(3.02)**
Log unemployment (destination)–0.2–0.031–0.212–0.35
(1.59)(1.77)(3.94)**(8.80)**
Log unemployment (origin)0.01–0.0010.0120.106
(0.15)(0.16)(0.23)(2.67)**
Log education (destination)0.070.0840.142.256
(0.06)(0.46)(0.25)(5.33)**
Log education (origin)1.4780.181.552–0.023
(2.83)**(2.36)*(2.75)**(0.06)
Log FDI (destination)–0.06–0.009–0.057–0.028
(0.87)(0.85)(2.13)*(1.42)
Log FDI (origin)0.1470.0270.1440.069
(4.09)**(4.89)**(5.36)**(3.47)**
Birthrate difference (destination–origin)–0.258–0.032–0.2540.093
(0.85)(0.7)(1.6)(0.8)
Log population (destination)–0.256–0.005–0.1840.62
(0.51)(0.07)(0.91)(4.12)**
Log population (origin)–0.332–0.017–0.3150.137
(1.69)(0.56)(1.56)(0.91)
Wage difference (destination–origin)0.0020.000.0020.002
(1.01)(0.78)(2.17)*(4.09)**
Log immigrant proportion0.8840.1320.8830.232
(48.01)**(47.85)**(88.99)**(9.71)**
Border with USA–0.939–0.121.966.183
(1.1)(0.97)(6.15)**(11.23)**
Period 2 dummy0.5730.0790.5480.149
(5.21)**(4.84)**(6.06)**(2.18)*
Period 3 dummy0.2680.0220.218–0.219
(1.32)(0.75)(1.41)(1.89)
Constant9.7261.2315.39–12
(1.0)(0.88)(1.19)(3.41)**
Origin FEYesYesYesYes
Destination FEYesYesYesYes
Pair-specific FENoNoNoYes
Model entropy3,346.84,371.1
Pseudo-R20.00010.0004
R20.950.94
N2976297629762976

[i] Notes: **p < 0.01, *p < 0.05. Standard errors in parenthesis. Total sample (2000–2015).

OLS, ordinary least squares; PPML, Poisson pseudo maximum likelihood; GME, generalized maximum entropy; 2FE, two-way fixed effects; 3FE, three-way fixed effects.

Table 4

Estimation of gravity model (GME 3FE) per period

GME P1GME P2GME P3
Log homicide rate (destination)–0.169–0.125–0.292
(7.36)**(12.45)**(8.90)**
Log homicide rate (origin)0.1180.054–0.395
(5.87)**(3.44)**(15.93)**
Other control covariatesYesYesYes
Origin FEYesYesYes
Destination FEYesYesYes
Pair-specific FEYesYesYes
Model entropy2,179.62,179.62,179.6
Pseudo-R20.000.000.00
N992992992

[i] Notes: **p < 0.01. Standard errors in parenthesis. Other control covariates refer to variables specified in equation (1).

P1 denotes period 1: 2000–2005. P2 denotes period 2: 2005–2010. P3 denotes period 3: 2010–2015.

GME, generalized maximum entropy; 3FE, three-way fixed effects.

Table 5

Decomposition of mean predictions differences between periods 1 and 2, and periods 1 and 3

Decomposition P1–P2Decomposition P1–P3
ExplainedUnexplainedExplainedUnexplained
Total–0.2650.6610.1210.244
(0.069)**(0.02)**(0.073)(0.036)**
Log distance00.2530–1.09
(0.000)(0.045)**(0.000)(0.053)**
Log GDP (destination)0.017–6.360.037–20.7
(0.006)**(0.362)**(0.007)**(0.818)**
Log GDP (origin)–0.0014.1–0.0036.36
(0.002)(0.377)**(0.004)(0.633)**
Log unemployment (destination)0.008–0.2980.018–2.29
(0.009)(0.074)**(0.022)(0.106)**
Log unemployment (origin)0.029–0.0480.066–2.14
(0.005)**(0.041)(0.011)**(0.068)**
Log FDI (destination)0.0060.3380.0172.11
(0.005)(0.195)(0.015)(0.238)**
Log FDI (origin)–0.0010.545–0.0056.98
(0.004)(0.134)**(0.011)(0.29)**
Log homicide rate (destination)–0.047–0.383–0.1041.02
(0.008)**(0.218)(0.015)**(0.334)**
Log homicide rate (origin)0.0330.5600.0734.28
(0.006)**(0.221)*(0.013)**(0.267)**
Log population (destination)0.0525.820.12614.79
(0.018)**(0.492)**(0.019)**(0.72)**
Log population (origin)0.001–1.890.003–10.76
(0.002)(0.437)**(0.004)(0.653)**
Log immigrant proportion–0.317–0.282–0.0890.13
(0.059)**(0.027)**(0.058)(0.033)**
Border with USA0–0.0820–0.022
(0.003)(0.011)**(0.003)(0.017)

[i] Notes: **p < 0.01, *p < 0.05. Origin, destination, and path-specific fixed effects coefficients are omitted to save space. Birthrate difference and wage difference are omitted since all their coefficients were insignificant.

P1 denotes period 1: 2000–2005. P2 denotes period 2: 2005–2010. P3 denotes period 3: 2010–2015. Linear decompositions take P1’s coefficients as reference. Mean predictions are 6.326 (2000–2005), 6.723 (2005–2010), and 6.693 (2010–2015).

GDP, gross domestic product; FDI, foreign direct investment.

graphic/j_izajodm-2020-0008_fig_006.jpg
CodeNameCodeName
1Aguascalientes17Morelos
2Baja California18Nayarit
3Baja California Sur19Nuevo Leno
4Campeche20Oaxaca
5Coahuila de Zaragoza21Puebla
6Colima22Queretaro
7Chiapas23Quintana Roo
8Chihuahua24San Luis Potosi
9Mexico city25Sinaloa
10Durnago26Sonora
11Guanajuato27Tabasco
12Guerrero28Tamaulipas
13Hidalgo29Tlaxcala
14Jalisco30Veracruz
15Mexico state31Yucatan
16Michoacan32Zacatecas
ImmigrationEmigrationNet migration variation
StateP1P2P3P1P2P3P1–P2P2–P3P1–P3
Aguascalientes28,48832,88734,13011,91519,15717,512-0.170.210.00
Baja California137,390123,726114,88044,11796,51274,160-0.710.50-0.56
Baja California Sur33,63560,21846,5848,56214,23618,7340.83-0.390.11
Campeche21,34327,47236,88416,86923,28620,311-0.062.962.70
Coahuila de Zaragoza36,11648,41850,05135,35548,61349,202-1.26-5.350.12
Colima21,30332,46632,18011,06114,80016,0640.72-0.090.57
Chiapas19,14440,43742,88975,17689,50495,990-0.120.08-0.05
Chihuahua54,68546,36740,80033,97564,45451,545-1.87-0.41-1.52
Mexico city159,869204,888283,102382,622588,895444,8750.72-0.58-0.27
Durango19,68329,97125,83528,04737,73738,791-0.070.670.55
Guanajuato49,23073,00874,28642,51260,29057,1090.890.351.56
Guerrero24,62141,02434,44060,17685,865109,5020.260.671.11
Hidalgo56,42193,91994,42438,27456,14560,6461.08-0.110.86
Jalisco90,912131,557130,01282,389120,016120,9140.35-0.210.07
Mexico state323,378464,284403,100234,864261,553326,6431.29-0.62-0.14
Michoacan45,38762,78252,09155,14481,14592,6520.881.213.16
Morelos44,67463,11760,90924,55236,64642,3540.32-0.30-0.08
Nayarit28,11248,83639,40520,90025,07126,1162.30-0.440.84
Nuevo Leon82,853114,089141,65440,06961,71861,2800.220.530.88
Oaxaca40,92666,12657,40866,27485,67191,018-0.230.720.33
Puebla77,367104,349113,37174,636110,804113,342-3.36-1.00-0.99
Queretaro55,73977,462105,43120,44132,68531,3790.270.651.10
Quintana Roo84,725122,690116,61622,12441,81146,9680.29-0.140.11
San Luis Potosi31,48445,56139,59338,09451,03858,692-0.172.491.89
Sinaloa39,73055,78465,66074,72581,58280,191-0.26-0.44-0.58
Sonora40,24462,68656,81235,37645,96341,9282.44-0.112.06
Tabasco18,35131,39635,58347,52656,09053,044-0.15-0.29-0.40
Tamaulipas94,72687,74158,52042,71074,21588,865-0.74-3.24-1.58
Tlaxcala21,49629,92429,01914,12020,98221,8610.21-0.20-0.03
Veracruz93,576159,584134,177191,791198,937199,758-0.600.67-0.33
Yucatan27,58440,47051,04424,16932,39234,2941.371.073.90
Zacatecas16,62823,41720,07721,25528,84335,2270.171.792.27

[i] Notes: P1 denotes period 1: 2000–2005. P2 denotes period 2: 2005–2010. P3 denotes period 3: 2010–2015.

Average homicidesAHRAHR variation
StateP1P2P3P1P2P3P1–P2P2–P3P1–P3
Aguascalientes2354590.0390.0780.0731.034–0.0690.894
Baja California4419847490.2890.5400.3380.867–0.3740.169
Baja California Sur2938820.1000.1100.1830.1010.6580.825
Campeche5049700.1130.0950.120–0.1580.2600.061
Coahuila de Zaragoza1352216900.0880.1310.3610.4851.7583.094
Colima50672060.1460.1730.4420.1831.5552.024
Chiapas3413234170.1490.1230.135–0.1790.097–0.099
Chihuahua5722,7742,5400.2901.3111.0943.519–0.1652.772
Mexico city9419311,0920.1510.1450.163–0.0390.1210.077
Durango1755865910.1920.5910.5332.082–0.0981.779
Guanajuato2133327560.0730.1040.2020.4200.9361.748
Guerrero6401,1942,2930.3480.6131.0220.7630.6661.937
Hidalgo82911970.0570.0580.1060.0120.8280.850
Jalisco4646481,3680.1130.1440.2670.2820.8461.367
Mexico state1,9261,7102,8890.2320.1850.272–0.2040.4680.169
Michoacan5927698810.2380.2950.2940.241–0.0030.236
Morelos1812475290.1820.2300.4190.2630.8211.300
Nayarit1242202830.2060.3430.3720.6640.0820.800
Nuevo Leon1203921,1930.0450.1330.3581.9541.6826.920
Oaxaca6256067400.2950.2670.285–0.0940.067–0.034
Puebla3703435320.1190.0990.136–0.1710.3760.141
Queretaro87701180.0980.0670.093–0.3110.375–0.052
Quintana Roo991241500.1770.1820.1630.028–0.109–0.084
San Luis Potosi1802153310.1250.1360.1860.0890.3730.496
Sinaloa4421,0971,3590.2660.6280.6901.3650.0991.599
Sonora2374645950.1600.2870.3180.7950.1070.988
Tabasco1031622540.0850.1220.1650.4340.3510.937
Tamaulipas2384191,0260.1280.2030.4530.5891.2272.539
Tlaxcala5054850.0810.0770.105–0.0480.3720.305
Veracruz3734479330.0830.0920.1720.1110.8751.083
Yucatan4142500.0370.0340.036–0.0820.053–0.033
Zacatecas881033440.1040.1140.3370.1001.9552.252

[i] Notes: P1 denotes period 1: 2000–2005. P2 denotes period 2: 2005–2010. P3 denotes period 3: 2010–2015. AHR, Average homicide rate.

2000–20052005–20102010–2015
MeanMinMaxMeanMinMaxMeanMinMax
Homicide rate average (per 1,000 people)0.150.0360.3480.240.0331.3110.30.0351.1
Net migration1,93510214,5472,66819301,0992,6423242,120
Real GDP (2013 million pesos)405,80767,9282,205,990441,18577,4912,408,621491,13390,1432,681,442
Unemployment rate3.261.185.803.881.406.054.862.196.62
Education (years of schooling)7.45.49.68.16.110.28.66.710.5
FDI (millions US dollars)737.176.66,199.8803.282.75,921.7978.7121.84,871.9
Birthrate (average child born to women/total women)2.72.03.12.52.03.02.41.92.8
Population (in thousands, 15 years and older)1,963.8284.98,286.92,150341.59,241.72,450.7449.210,635.4
Wage (daily, pesos)146.9115.3230.0202.6164.9299.6250.6202.5359.1
Immigrant proportion2,81310339,0561,93510214,5472,66819301,099

[i] GDP, gross domestic product; FDI, foreign direct investment.

ldistlgdplunemleduclfdilthomavdifbthlpopdifwlpormig
ldist1
lgdp–0.0789*1
lunem–0.1196*0.2666*1
leduc0.0766*0.2721*0.7225*1
lfdi–0.0392*0.7098*0.4876*0.5316*1
lthomav0.1048*0.0532*0.0185*0.1695*0.1999*1
difbth0–0.3016*–0.2492*–0.4554* –0.3348*0.1264*1
lpop–0.2009*0.7707*0.1443*–0.0225*0.6419*0.1533*–0.0513*1
difw00.4569*0.1591*0.3218*0.4190*–0.1086*–0.6200*0.2054*1
lpormig–0.3414*–0.0544*0.0421*0.1659*0.0784*0.0080*–0.0724* –0.1523*–0.0920*1
fronteraUS0.2081*0.2882*0.2407*0.3720*0.4505*0.2654*–0.2443*0.1360*0.1185*0.0822*

[i] Notes: * denotes significance level (p < 0.05). Variables are log of distance (ldist), log of real GDP (lgdp), log of unemployment rate (lunem), log of education (leduc), log of FDI (lfdi), log of homicide rate average (lthomav), birthrate difference between origin and destination (difbth), log of population (lpop), wage difference between origin and destination (difw), and log of immigrant proportion (lpormig).

Decomposition P1–P2Decomposition P1–P3
ExplainedUnexplainedExplainedUnexplained
Total–0.2750.6710.1070.259
(0.069)**(0.02)**(0.073)(0.036)**
Log distance00.2630–1.07
(0.000)(0.046)**(0.000)(0.053)**
Log GDP (destination)0.018–6.690.040–17.99
(0.007)**(0.366)**(0.007)**(0.554)**
Log GDP (origin)–0.0024.4–0.0063.06
(0.002)(0.382)**(0.004)(0.44)**
Log unemployment (destination)0.008–0.3140.019–2.11
(0.009)(0.075)**(0.022)(0.106)**
Log unemployment (origin)0.027–0.0240.064–2.36
(0.005)**(0.041)(0.011)**(0.075)**
Log FDI (destination)0.0040.3210.0142.01
(0.005)(0.198)(0.015)(0.233)**
Log FDI (origin)0.0010.4550.0057.21
(0.004)(0.135)**(0.011)(0.286)**
Log homicide rate (destination)–0.048–0.432–0.1010.685
(0.008)**(0.211)*(0.014)**(0.310)*
Log homicide rate (origin)0.0290.4710.0624.51
(0.006)**(0.221)*(0.012)**(0.248)**
Log population (destination)0.0516.020.12513.54
(0.018)**(0.499)**(0.019)**(0.612)**
Log population (origin)0.001–1.960.002–9.13
(0.002)(0.437)**(0.004)(0.601)**
Log immigrant proportion–0.317–0.272–0.0890.125
(0.059)**(0.028)**(0.058)(0.033)**
Border with USA0–0.07800.201
(0.003)(0.011)**(0.003)(0.018)**

[i] Notes: **p < 0.01, *p < 0.05. Origin, destination, and path-specific fixed effect coefficients are omitted to save space. Birthrate difference and wage difference are omitted since all their coefficients were insignificant.

P1 denotes period 1: 2000–2005. P2 denotes period 2: 2005–2010. P3 denotes period 3: 2010–2015. Linear decompositions take P1’s coefficients as reference. Homicide rates for males (15 years and older). GDP, gross domestic product; FDI, foreign direct investment.

Decomposition P1–P2Decomposition P1–P3
ExplainedUnexplainedExplainedUnexplained
Total–0.2230.6190.1860.180
(0.069)**(0.02)**(0.072)*(0.033)**
Log distance00.2960–1.05
(0.000)(0.045)**(0.000)(0.053)**
Log GDP (destination)0.017–5.550.038–18.2
(0.006)**(0.362)**(0.007)**(0.574)**
Log GDP (origin)–0.0063.46–0.0133.82
(0.003)*(0.446)**(0.004)**(0.447)**
Log unemployment (destination)0.018–0.3480.042–2.24
(0.009)*(0.070)**(0.021)*(0.104)**
Log unemployment (origin)0.037–0.280.086–2.46
(0.005)**(0.066)**(0.011)**(0.073)**
Log FDI (destination)0.0030.7330.0102.2
(0.005)(0.199)**(0.015)(0.245)**
Log FDI (origin)0.0010.4830.0047.53
(0.004)(0.146)**(0.011)(0.30)**
Log homicide rate (destination)–0.040–0.057–0.0790.889
(0.007)**(0.191)(0.012)**(0.295)**
Log homicide rate (origin)0.0361.180.0724.58
(0.006)**(0.26)**(0.011)**(0.234)**
Log population (destination)0.0524.970.12813.24
(0.018)**(0.485)**(0.019)**(0.593)**
Log population (origin)0.003–1.740.009–10.09
(0.002)(0.356)**(0.004)*(0.623)**
Log immigrant proportion–0.316–0.337–0.0880.088
(0.058)**(0.027)**(0.057)(0.033)**
Border with USA0–0.09400.221
(0.002)(0.012)**(0.002)(0.019)**

[i] Notes: **p < 0.01, *p < 0.05. Origin, destination, and path-specific fixed effects coefficients are omitted to save space. Birthrate difference and wage difference are omitted since all their coefficients were insignificant.

P1 denotes period 1: 2000–2005. P2 denotes period 2: 2005–2010. P3 denotes period 3: 2010–2015. Linear decompositions take P1’s coefficients as reference. Homicide rates for young males (15–39 years old).

GDP, gross domestic product; FDI, foreign direct investment.

Language: English
Published on: May 18, 2020
Published by: Sciendo
In partnership with: Paradigm Publishing Services
JEL:

© 2020 Amilcar Orlian Fernandez-Dominguez, published by Sciendo
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.