Determinants of international migrations to Italian provinces

International migration flows constitute one of the most policy-relevant elements of modern economies. The Italian experience is a case of particular interest given the rapid growth of immigration flows, the large number of countries of origin involved, and regional economic heterogeneity. This paper analyses the bilateral stocks of migrants coming from 142 countries and living in 103 Italian provinces to ascertain what characteristics of home countries and destination provinces are associated with international migrations. The results of the estimation of a gravity model on the stock of migrants show that economic, demographic and institutional variables are correlated with migration patterns. In light of the recent Arab Spring, it is interesting to note that migrants come to Italy predominantly from geographically close, democratic and middle-income countries.