{"type":"script","doc_desc":{"producers":[{"name":"Reproducibility WBG","abbr":"DIME","affiliation":"World Bank - Development Impact Department","role":"Verification and preparation of metadata"}],"prod_date":"2025-05-28","version":"1"},"project_desc":{"authoring_entity":[{"name":"David McKenzie","affiliation":"World Bank","email":"dmckenzie@worldbank.org"},{"name":"Charlotte M\u00fcller","affiliation":"Independent Consultant","email":"charlotte.j.mueller@gmail.com"},{"name":"Pablo Acosta","affiliation":"World Bank","email":"pacosta@worldbank.org"}],"title_statement":{"title":"Reproducibility package for Where and How is Money Spent on International Migration and Refugees by World Bank Operational Projects?","idno":"RR_WLD_2025_287"},"data_statement":"All data sources are publicly available and included in the reproducibility package.","software":[{"name":"Stata"}],"scripts":[{"title":"Reproducibility package for Where and How is Money Spent on International Migration by World Bank Operational Projects?","date":"2025-05","notes":"Computational reproducibility verified by Development Impact (DIME) Analytics team, World Bank.","instructions":"See README in reproducibility package.","file_name":"RR_WLD_2025_287","zip_package":"RR_WLD_2025_287.zip","dependencies":"Stata dependencies are listed in the ado folder."}],"repository_uri":[{"name":"Reproducible Research Repository (World Bank)","uri":"https:\/\/reproducibility.worldbank.org"}],"production_date":"2025-05-28","abstract":"A strong evidence base has documented the many ways in which international migration can bring large development benefits for individuals and communities. Flagship reports and analytical work from international organizations like the World Bank have long argued for the need for countries to actively manage migration for development. How much is this evidence and rhetoric reflected in what money actually gets spent on? This paper analyzes the World Bank portfolio of projects financed between 2014 and 2024 to see how much money is being spent on activities related to international migration and refugees in developing countries, where it is being spent, and what it is being used for. It identifies 160 operational projects, totaling $15 billion for components related to migration, refugees and forced displacement. However, this funding is highly concentrated in a small number of countries, and over 70 percent of World Bank clients have not received a single dollar in financing for migration in a decade. Financing is almost entirely driven by projects to support refugees and displaced populations, with funding for facilitating or increasing benefits from economic (labor) migration averaging only $11 million per year. Funding on refugees goes well beyond immediate humanitarian support, with much of the focus on how to improve development outcomes for them through education, housing, and labor market inclusion. Examination of the small number of projects that do relate to economic migration show efforts to develop new migration corridors, reintegrate returnees, as well as a role for improving the technical and vocational training systems of sending countries to better align and certify skills with overseas demand. These cases also provide a demonstration effect of how money can be spent proactively to enhance the benefits of international mobility. The paper concludes by discussing the barriers to more project lending and potential opportunities.","geographic_units":[{"name":"World","code":"WLD"}],"keywords":[{"name":"Migration Policies"},{"name":"Refugees"},{"name":"World Bank Lending"},{"name":"Government Policy"}],"topics":[{"id":"F22","uri":"https:\/\/www.aeaweb.org\/econlit\/jelCodes.php?view=jel","vocabulary":"Journal of Economic Literature (JEL)","name":"International Migration","parent_id":"F2"},{"id":" O20","uri":"https:\/\/www.aeaweb.org\/econlit\/jelCodes.php?view=jel","vocabulary":"Journal of Economic Literature (JEL)","name":"General \u2022  Development Planning and Policy","parent_id":"O2"},{"id":" O15","uri":"https:\/\/www.aeaweb.org\/econlit\/jelCodes.php?view=jel","vocabulary":"Journal of Economic Literature (JEL)","name":"Human Resources \u2022 Human Development \u2022 Income Distribution \u2022 Migration","parent_id":"O1"}],"output":[{"type":"PRWP Working Paper","description":"Policy Research Working Papers (PRWP) 11141","title":"Where and How is Money Spent on International Migration and Refugees by World Bank Operational Projects?","uri":"http:\/\/documents.worldbank.org\/curated\/en\/099725406092551033","doi":"http:\/\/doi.org\/10.1596\/1813-9450-11141"},{"type":"Journal Article","title":"Where and How Is Money Spent on International Migration and Refugees in World Bank Operational Projects? "}],"language":[{"name":"English","code":"EN"}],"technology_requirements":"The code takes approximately 5 minutes to run.","disclaimer":"The materials in the reproducibility packages are distributed as they were prepared by the staff of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development\/The World Bank. The findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed in this event do not necessarily reflect the views of the World Bank, the Executive Directors of the World Bank, or the governments they represent. The World Bank does not guarantee the accuracy of the materials included in the reproducibility package.","license":[{"name":"Modified BSD3","uri":"https:\/\/opensource.org\/license\/bsd-3-clause\/"}],"contacts":[{"name":"David McKenzie","affiliation":"World Bank","email":"dmckenzie@worldbank.org"},{"name":"Reproducibility WBG","affiliation":"World Bank","email":"reproducibility@worldbank.org"}],"datasets":[{"uri":"https:\/\/datacatalog.worldbank.org\/search\/dataset\/0038272?_gl=1*ss29js*_gcl_au*MjIwODAyNTA1LjE3MjU2MjY2ODM.","name":"World Bank Official Boundaries","note":"Source: World Bank. Datasets are located in the folder 'Data\/Mapboundaries'","access_type":"Open data","license":" Creative Commons Attribution 4.0","license_uri":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/","citation":"World Bank. (2025). World Bank Official Boundaries [dataset]. Accessed: https:\/\/datacatalog.worldbank.org\/search\/dataset\/0038272?_gl=1*ss29js*_gcl_au*MjIwODAyNTA1LjE3MjU2MjY2ODM."},{"name":"World Development Indicators","note":"Source: World Bank. Datasets: (1) WDIextract.dta includes the series NY.GDP.PCAP.KD, SM.POP.REFG, SM.POP.REFG.OR, BX.TRF.PWKR.DT.GD.ZS, SM.POP.TOTL.ZS, SM.POP.TOTL, SP.POP.TOTL, DT.DOD.MWBG.CD; (2) IDAlist.dta was created by downloading the series NY.GDP.MKTP.KD for IDA countries only, and then just keeping the list of countries that are IDA; (3) IBRDlist.dta was created by downloading the series NY.GDP.MKTP.KD for IBRD countries only, and then just keeping the list of countries that are IBRD.","access_type":"Data is publicly available and included in the reproducibility package.","license":"Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)","license_uri":"https:\/\/www.worldbank.org\/en\/about\/legal\/terms-of-use-for-datasets","uri":"https:\/\/databank.worldbank.org\/source\/world-development-indicators","citation":"World Bank. (2025). \"World Development Indicators:\" [dataset]. Accessed: https:\/\/databank.worldbank.org\/source\/world-development-indicators"},{"name":"Global Bilateral Migration Matrix 1960-2020 from the World Development Report 2024","note":"Source: World Bank. Dataset: WBMM_1960_2020.dta. Link to the dataset is forthcoming at https:\/\/www.worldbank.org\/en\/publication\/wdr2024","access_type":"Data is included in the reproducibility package.","citation":"World Bank. (2024). \"Global Bilateral Migration Matrix 1960-2020 from the World Development Report 2024\". https:\/\/www.worldbank.org\/en\/publication\/wdr2024","uri":"https:\/\/www.worldbank.org\/en\/publication\/wdr2024"},{"note":"Source: Constructed by the authors based on World Bank Project documents and is included in the reproducibility package. Dataset: WBMigrationProjects.dta","access_type":"Data is publicly available and included in the reproducibility package.","name":"World Bank Project Database","citation":"Author's compilation. (2025). World Bank Project Database [dataset]. Author's compilation based on World Bank Project documents"}],"technology_environment":"Paper exhibits were reproduced in a computer with the following specifications:\n* OS: Windows 10 Enterprise 22H2\n* Processor: Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU E7- 4860 @ 2.27GHz 2.26 GHz (2 processors)  \n* Memory available: 1TB\n* Software version: Stata 18.0 MP","reproduction_instructions":"To reproduce the findings in this paper, a new user needs to do the following:\n1. Open the MigrationWPreplication do file\n2. Update directory paths to your folders' locations\n3. Run the do-file\nNote: the code was minimally updated for the Journal version. Extended in two ways: the journal\nversion adds a \"Fragile State\" control and a third outcome column (Cumulative Funding per capita,\nlinear regression) not present in the working paper. Please see the reproducibility report for more information. "},"tags":[{"tag":"DOI"},{"tag":"Open Code"},{"tag":"Open Data"}],"schematype":"script"}