Consequences of Growing Up Displaced : Evidence from Displaced Children in Colombia

World Bank

Published

23 Jul 2026

Coverage

Venezuela, Republicabolivarianade, Colombia

This paper examines how forced displacement shapes child development beyond socioeconomic disadvantage. The paper uses original data on roughly 1,600 Venezuelan refugees, Colombian internally displaced individuals, and nondisplaced children in Medellín, Colombia. The analysis adapts rank-rank regressions from the intergenerational mobility literature to a forced displacement setting, ranking each child’s developmental outcomes against household wealth. The paper documents substantial gaps that persist after holding wealth and parental background fixed. It also shows that the cause of displacement shapes the nature of the gaps. Venezuelan refugees displaced by acute material deprivation fall 19 and 13 rank points behind in cognitive and physical development, respectively. Colombian children displaced by armed conflict fall 12 rank points behind in depression and exhibit elevated trauma. Access to regularization and social services is associated with narrower gaps.