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The impact of origin community characteristics on rural-urban out-migration in a developing country

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Demography

Abstract

It is widely believed that structural variables such as inequitable land distribution, lack of rural employment opportunities, and rural-urban wage and amenity gaps influence population movements in developing countries. Yet quantitative evidence is scant. In this paper a multilevel model is used to investigate the effects of individual-, household-, and areal-level factors on rural-urban out-migration in the Ecuadorian Sierra. Data from a detailed survey carried out in 1977–1978 and from government macro-areal statistics are used to investigate factors affecting the out-migration of youths aged 12–25. Preliminary conclusions are presented on the usefulness of multilevel models in studying migration and policy implications for Ecuador.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Carolina Population Center and Deportment of Biostatistics, University of North Carolina, 27514-3997, Chapel Hill, North Carolina

    Richard E. Bilsborrow & Richard Fuller

  2. International Statistical Programs Center, U.S. Bureau of the Census, Suitland, Maryland

    Thomas M. McDevitt

  3. Population Studies Center, University of Michigan, 48109, Ann Arbor, Michigan

    Sherrie Kossoudji

Authors
  1. Richard E. Bilsborrow
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  2. Thomas M. McDevitt
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  3. Sherrie Kossoudji
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  4. Richard Fuller
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Bilsborrow, R.E., McDevitt, T.M., Kossoudji, S. et al. The impact of origin community characteristics on rural-urban out-migration in a developing country. Demography 24, 191–210 (1987). https://doi.org/10.2307/2061629

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