Joint Effects of Personal and Contextual Factors on Elderly Migration in Canada: A Nested Logit Analysis

Barry Edmonston, University of Victoria
Sharon M. Lee, University of Victoria

This study examines the internal migration of elderly Canadians during successive five-year periods using data from 8 censuses from 1971 to 2011. The paper focuses on the relationships between personal characteristics and contextual factors on the migration of elderly from 11 provinces/territories to 32 possible metropolitan or non-metropolitan destinations. Relatively few previous studies have analyzed contextual factors affecting elderly migration using a nested logit model that examines separately the departure decision and the destination choice. The departure decision model includes contextual factors at the origin as well as personal characteristics. The destination choice model includes contextual factors at all possible destination choices as well as personal characteristics. Attention is given to the proportion of co-ethnic in the origin and destination in order to understand better the role of ethnicity in elderly migration.