This study supports the realization of the Human Development Report in Bolivia 2011 carried out by UNDP. Thanks to the Social Mobility and Stratification Survey (EMES) carried out by the UNDP, which has national representation at the urban and rural levels, the study addresses the problems of the causes and effects of international migration in Bolivia from a quantitative perspective, in order to glimpse generalities and central tendencies. For the identification of the causes of migration, the EMES fed a probabilistic model. To identify the effects of migration, a Quality of Life Indicator (LCI) was constructed using a Factor Analysis, based on Amartya Sen's theory of capabilities. The proposed ICV is determined by the material wealth of households measured as stock and flow, and the perception of family well-being. To capture the effects of migration on the quality of life of households, both at the general level and at the level of each component of the ICV, a counterfactual scenario was constructed. The results show that international migration has, on average, a net positive effect on quality of life, but frequent and intense negative effects on family well-being are found.