Intergenerational attitudes towards migration: K-means clustering analysis of European countries

Abstract

Attitudes toward immigration constitute the central axis of social and political polarization across Europe. While comparative research has extensively examined cross-national differences, limited attention has been paid to how generational cohorts shape these attitudes. Understanding generational variation is essential for interpreting Europe’s evolving discourse on migration. This study investigates whether immigration attitudes differ systematically across generational cohorts in Europe and assesses the extent to which countries can be clustered based on generational patterns. Using data from Round 11 of the European Social Survey (ESS), six immigration-related items were analyzed to capture multidimensional perspectives on immigration. A generational clustering approach was employed to identify cross-national patterns, combining descriptive analysis and cluster techniques to classify countries according to generational attitudinal profiles. Findings reveal clear regional patterns, yielding five clusters: Southern Europe, Central Europe, Nordic countries, Eastern Europe, and Hungary as a distinct cluster. Although generational differences exist within many countries, immigration attitudes appear relatively consistent across generations in several contexts. In some countries, generational boundaries are rigid, while in others, attitudinal shifts indicate evolving perspectives across age groups. Generational cohorts thus offer a meaningful lens for analyzing immigration attitudes, reflecting shared national characteristics as well as cohort-specific influences. While national context remains influential, generational patterns provide valuable insights into changing social narratives on immigration. This study offers an original empirical integration of a five-generation classification into a cross-national clustering analysis of immigration attitudes in Europe, contributing to intergenerational migration research and informing social cohesion policy.