Poverty, affluence and homeownership among working-age immigrants in Israel

Affluence, homeownership and poverty are good measures of immigrants’ long-term integration. High income and homeownership indicate successful integration and intentions to stay in the host country, whereas poverty signals economic vulnerability, typical of immigrants who arrive with few resources. Drawing on the 2011 Immigrant Survey conducted by Israel's Central Bureau of Statistics, matched with 2008 census data, the study finds that immigrants arriving after age 50 achieve worse socioeconomic outcomes than do those migrating at younger ages; they are less likely to be affluent or own a home, and more likely to be poor than immigrants arriving at younger ages. The study also reveals substantial differences in poverty, affluence, and homeownership, by country of origin. Differences, by age of arrival and by country of origin, hold even when controlling for language proficiency. Examining affluence, homeownership and poverty is an innovative way to reveal group differences and policy effects on the long-term costs of late migration. Policy implications of late migration are discussed.