Abstract
Emigration and population shrinkage are challenges faced in countries and communities throughout the world. Based on a systematic literature analysis of approximately 600 articles, we examine voluntary emigration through the lens of non-economic factors, establishing a cohesive and coherent view of the literature landscape across disciplines and enabling discussion of how local governments and non-governmental organizations might respond to emigration pressures nationally and locally. The factors identified in the literature are set within seven conceptual categories: personal ambition, personal relationships, quality of life, quality of working life, future opportunity, fitness to enter a new society and quality of governance. Focusing on these factors, a set of tools for local government and non-governmental organization action are proposed to manage emigration-induced population shrinkage, including citizen participation, strategic planning and management, cross-sector partnerships and capacity investments in the non-profit sector.