Analyzing Migrant Wealth Gaps in Cross-National Perspective Using LWS Data

Wealth inequality literature has recently expanded by adopting a comparative approach. However, wealth stratification by migration background has been slower to follow this trend.
Adding wealth to research on migration and host-country integration would be of utmost importance. First, the existence of substantial gaps in wealth accumulation and asset participation might be taken as an indicator of economic and social exclusion (Agius Vallejo and Keister, 2020). Second, as wealth is a fundamental stratifier of life chances (Killewald et al., 2017), differences in wealth accumulation translate into inequalities in different domains, across various life stages of individuals, and over generations.

The lamented lack of comparative research on wealth stratification by migration background is largely due to data availability issues. In this contribution, I will (a) discuss the use of the harmonized Luxembourg Wealth Study (LWS) as a unique resource for comparative research on wealth stratification by migration background, and (b) provide a recent descriptive overview of wealth stratification across multiple countries (...)