For decades, the emigration of skilled professionals from small and lower-income countries has raised concerns about brain drain—the loss of talent that could hinder economic and social progress. However, new research challenges this notion by presenting evidence that high-skilled migration can increase a country’s overall stock of educated workers, driving what experts call brain gain.
According to Dean Yang, a professor of public policy and economics at the University of Michigan, migrants don’t just leave—they bring back knowledge, investment, and innovation. Beyond individual success stories, emigrants send money home, create new trade connections, transfer technology, and even influence political and social norms in their countries of origin.
“The evidence shows that migration creates positive feedback loops,” Yang explains. “More people invest in education when they see pathways abroad, remittances help build human capital, and diaspora networks accelerate business and knowledge transfer.”
Take the Philippines, for instance—when the U.S. expanded visa slots for foreign nurses in the early 2000s, the Philippines trained thousands. Between 2000 and 2006, 27,000 nurses emigrated, but three times as many stayed, significantly boosting domestic healthcare capacity.
Exploring global migration: A high-resolution dataset
Similarly, in India, the relaxation of U.S. visa restrictions spurred a boom in computer science training, leading to a rise in IT skills at home, even as many migrated abroad.
Yang emphasizes that brain gain depends on training infrastructure—countries that can adapt their education systems reap the most significant benefits.
One persistent fear is that the loss of health professionals could weaken healthcare systems. However, data from 53 African nations found that higher emigration rates of doctors and nurses did not lead to fewer healthcare workers or worse public health outcomes.
Migration can improve healthcare: remittances sent home fuel medical spending. In Mexico, migration has raised birth weights and lowered infant mortality through improved access to medical knowledge. Instead of restricting movement, researchers suggest that better incentives for rural healthcare workers would be a more effective solution.
With global education levels rising and policies favoring high-skilled workers, migration is expected to continue growing, presenting both challenges and opportunities. Yang and his colleagues advocate for smarter policies that enhance benefits rather than restricting movement.
“There is a need for more active policy efforts—building training infrastructure, removing return migration barriers, and maximizing the positive effects of migrants abroad,” Yang says.
In a world increasingly shaped by talent mobility, the question isn’t how to stop brain drain but how to transform it into brain gain.
Journal Reference:
- Catia Batista, Daniel Han et al. Brain drain or brain gain? Effects of High-Skilled International Emigration on Origin Countries. Science. DOI: 10.1126/science.adr8861