What question did this study set out to answer?

The study investigates the relationship between extreme temperatures and international migration from El Salvador.

May 6, 2026American Economic Journal Economic Policy1 citations

Responses to Extreme Temperatures: Migrant Networks and International Migration from El Salvador

AIAna Maria IbáñezInter-American Development Bank JQJuliana QuiguaScience Oxford MRMaria Jimena RomeroCornell University

Key Points

The study investigates the relationship between extreme temperatures and international migration from El Salvador.
Analyzed the effects of extreme temperatures on agricultural productivity and migration patterns.
Examined the role of migration networks in facilitating emigration from El Salvador.
Assessed the financial feasibility of migration in relation to agricultural income losses.
Exposure to extreme temperatures increases international migration from El Salvador.
Extreme temperatures significantly reduce corn yields, impacting income for farmers.
As income decreases, reliance on established migration networks leads to higher emigration rates.

Abstract

We show that exposure to extreme temperatures significantly increases international migration from El Salvador, where nearly a quarter of the population lives in the United States. Extreme temperatures reduce corn yields, leading producers to decrease their use of postharvest inputs and demand for agricultural workers. These income losses, combined with established US migration networks, increase emigration. Our findings highlight how international migration serves as a response to extreme temperatures when destination networks are strong and migration remains financially feasible. This pattern is not unique to El Salvador: Roughly 30 million farms globally are in low-income settings with access to remittances. (JEL F24, J15, J23, J43, O15, Q12, Q54)

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