This paper examines the impact of migration experience of village leaders on local economic development,based on the village-level data of the 2005 China General Social Survey.Our results show that the human capital of village leaders accumulated during the migration period has had a positive effect on per capita net income and per capita non-agricultural income in rural China.The migration experience of village leaders also plays a positive role in entrepreneurial activities in rural regions.From a policy perspective,these findings call attention to the importance of harnessing potential benefits of return migration to local economic development in rural China. This paper examines the impact of migration experience of village leaders on local economic development, based on the village-level data of the 2005 China General Social Survey. Our results show that the human capital of village leaders accumulated during the migration period had had a positive effect on per capita net income and per capita non-agricultural income in rural China. The migration experience of village leaders also plays a positive role in entrepreneurial activities in rural regions. Focus a policy perspective, these findings call attention to the importance of harnessing potential benefits of return migration to local economic development in rural China.