Template-Type: ReDIF-Paper 1.0
Author-Name: Ricardo Hausmann
Author-Email: ricardo_hausmann@harvard.edu
Author-Workplace-Name: Harvard's Growth Lab
Author-Person: pha552
Author-Name: Julian Hinz
Author-Name: Muhammed A. Yildirim
Author-Workplace-Name: Center for International Development at Harvard University
Title: Measuring Venezuelan Emigration with Twitter
Abstract: Venezuela has seen an unprecedented exodus of people in recent months. In response to a dramatic economic downturn in which inflation is soaring, oil production tanking, and a humanitarian catastrophe unfolding, many Venezuelans are seeking refuge in neighboring countries. However, the lack of official numbers on emigration from the Venezuelan government, and receiving countries largely refusing to acknowledge a refugee status for affected people, it has been difficult to quantify the magnitude of this crisis. In this note we document how we use data from the social media service Twitter to measure the emigration of people from Venezuela. Using a simple statistical model that allows us to correct for a sampling bias in the data, we estimate that up to 2.9 million Venezuelans have left the country in the past year.
Creation-Date: 2018-05
Classification-JEL: F22, C55
Keywords: migration, social media
Number: 113
Handle: RePEc:glh:wpfacu:113
File-Url: https://growthlab.cid.harvard.edu/files/growthlab/files/ven_emigration_cidwp342.pdf
File-Format: application/pdf