Subjective health status and life satisfaction. Results of the SVR Integration Barometer 2024 (January 2026 – March 2026)

Research on migration and health describes an apparent paradox: people with personal experience of migration are often healthier than the population in the host country when they arrive (Healthy Immigrant Effect), but lose this advantage over time. Explanatory approaches point to the cumulative effects of social, economic, and structural disadvantage (Immigrant Disadvantage Hypothesis). The health and life satisfaction of people with a migration background are therefore closely linked to social determinants, experiences of discrimination, and structural inequalities.

The project uses data from the SVR Integration Barometer 2024 to analyze subjective health status and life satisfaction differentiated according to migration biographies. Both sociodemographic and migration-related characteristics such as length of stay, residence status, language skills, sense of belonging, and perceived discrimination are taken into account. The aim is to record health inequalities more precisely and to better understand how health and life satisfaction are related to social participation.

You can find the publication (in German only) following this link.