This paper establishes a two-sector general equilibrium model of a small open economy to examine the impact of environmental pollution on income inequality via brain drain. The results of the equilibrium modelling show that environmental pollution in the source country can widen the income gap between skilled and unskilled workers and that brain drain caused by environmental pollution will amplify this effect; furthermore, improving the environmental quality in the recipient country will widen the skilled-unskilled income gap in the source country. Our empirical results show that deteriorating the environmental quality in the source country increases income inequality and that brain drain caused by environmental quality will amplify the effect. Our sample is divided into four sub-samples: stage of national development, level of national income, status of environmental pollution and situation of brain drain. We find that environmental pollution has different effects on income inequality via brain drain in these sub-samples. Comparing the heterogeneous components of environmental quality, we find that brain drain caused by diminished ecosystem vitality and by air quality affecting human health will widen income inequality but that other factors related to environmental quality have no significant impacts on the effect of brain drain on income inequality. The results of a robustness test support these conclusions.

本文建立了一个小型开放经济体的两部门一般均衡模型，以检验环境污染对人才流失对收入不平等的影响。均衡模型的结果表明，来源国的环境污染可以扩大熟练工人和非熟练工人之间的收入差距，而环境污染导致的人才外流将扩大这种影响。此外，改善受援国的环境质量将扩大来源国的技术非技术收入差距。我们的经验结果表明，来源国环境质量的恶化加剧了收入不平等，环境质量引起的人才流失将扩大这种影响。我们的样本分为四个子样本：国家发展阶段，国民收入水平，环境污染状况和人才流失状况。我们发现，在这些子样本中，环境污染通过人才流失对收入不平等产生了不同的影响。比较环境质量的异质性成分，我们发现由生态系统活力减弱和空气质量影响人类健康导致的人才流失将扩大收入不平等，但是与环境质量有关的其他因素对人才流失对收入不平等的影响没有重大影响。健壮性测试的结果支持这些结论。我们发现，由生态系统活力减弱和空气质量影响人类健康造成的人才流失将扩大收入不平等，但与环境质量有关的其他因素对人才流失对收入不平等的影响没有重大影响。健壮性测试的结果支持这些结论。我们发现，由生态系统活力减弱和空气质量影响人类健康造成的人才流失将扩大收入不平等，但与环境质量有关的其他因素对人才流失对收入不平等的影响没有重大影响。健壮性测试的结果支持这些结论。