Urbanization and internal migration

This is a survey of the U.N. Population Division's contributions to the study of urbanization and internal migration, related research, and publications. In order to review these contributions, the relevant U.N. publications are classified under five broad topics: "estimates and projections of urban, rural and city populations, including problems of data comparability and methods to measure internal migration; monitoring of trends in urbanization; estimates and analyses of migration as a component of urban and metropolitan growth; studies of demographic and socio-economic aspects of urbanization, and studies of demographic and socio-economic aspects of internal migration."

A regression analysis of migration to urban areas of a less-developed country: the case of Iran

The factors affecting internal migration in Iran are analyzed using a regression-based model. "The model used is of the 'push-pull' variety stated in the form of a single equation explaining out-migration from a given region of origin (i) to all other regions (j) in the country." The focus is on the period prior to 1976.

Subsistence crop deficit and family structure in Sub-Saharan Africa

The author seeks to provide demographic explanations for the current food crisis in Sub-Saharan Africa. "In the present paper, we will consider the possibility that one of these [explanations] may lie in the way African families are structured, particularly in countries that are still in the first stage of the demographic transition. More specifically, we will examine the following two assumptions: the effects which the rural-urban migration...has on food production may be amplified by the way family labour is divided between the sexes and the different age groups; [and] lower mortality increases the size of the kin group, while rural-urban migration decreases the proportion of family members engaged in agricultural production, thus perturbing the distribution and consumption of subsistence foods."

Migration and the growth of metropolitan areas in the third world

"The purpose of the present paper [is] to investigate further the role of migration in developing countries by analyzing the components of population growth in 26 large metropolitan areas in Africa, Asia, and Latin America." The process of urban population growth is first described. Then, using data from censuses and official U.N. sources, the author examines the relative importance of migration and natural increase in urban growth and in the growth of the largest urban areas. The focus is primarily on the period 1960-1970. Consideration is also given to "estimates of the natural increase of migrants after their arrival in the city in order to assess the full effect of net migration on metropolitan growth, analyses of the relationships between the components of growth and several structural variables and, finally, a discussion of the results." The importance of migration as a factor affecting urban growth is noted.

Interregional migration of labor in Ghana, West Africa: determinants, consequences and policy intervention

This article examines the determinants, consequences and policy intervention measures of the movement of labor within Ghana's administrative regions. The study concludes that the economic inequalities brought about by the uneven distribution of development projects in favor of urban areas causes depressed rural economic conditions, thus spurring rural to urban migration. Migration to the urban places of Ghana is therefore caused by individuals and families seeking better economic opportunities to improve the quality of their lives. Secondary determinants are varied, ranging from family obligations to the quest for adventure. The benefits of migration for the rural areas lie mainly in returned migrants’ contributions to the economic development of those areas. Migrants also contribute to the urban areas’ economic development, but their presence in large numbers has caused problems in the housing and in the delivery of social services. Rural development policies and land settlement schemes have been unsuccessful, due mainly to the lack of a comprehensive national development effort.

Urban squatting and migration in Peninsular Malaysia

"This article examines some of the links between the phenomena of urban migration and squatter settlements in the Third World city. This will be done by demonstrating that both are outcomes of fundamental social and political forces that have operated on these societies. Migration and squatting are placed in a context of the historical processes that led to the uneven development of Malaysia. The article offers some explanation for the origin of the inequalities observed in spatial structures--in this case urban housing--by focusing on one of the contributory factors, namely migration."

Internal migration in Thailand

"Internal migration of the population of Thailand involves a number of distinct forms of movement. Three forms are identified in this research: single-move, seasonal and repeat. The first can be treated as long-term migration while the latter two are more temporary. All forms are characterized by different geographical flows and different selectivity patterns. Long-term migration is highly selective of young adults, females and the more highly educated. It is most likely to occur between urban areas or from rural to urban areas. Temporary migration mainly involves movement back and forth between urban and rural places and is most likely to be engaged in by those with a medium level of education."