Does health affect attitudes towards immigration?

Abstract

Can poor health lead to more negative attitudes towards immigration? Using data from the German Socio-Economic Panel (1999–2021) and the European Social Survey (2002–2021), I find that poorer subjective health, disability, as well as longstanding physical and mental health conditions, are strong predictors of anti-immigration sentiment. The instrumental variable results, where an individual's health is predicted with the health of other household members, supports the causal nature of this relationship. To understand what is driving the results, I explore the role of health-induced changes in 1) perceptions of immigrants’ use of public services, 2) subjective wellbeing and 3) contact with health professionals. Overall, this study is the first to highlight health as an important determinant of attitudes toward immigration, and it suggests that health improvements can lead to more open and tolerant societies.