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Age-specific net migration patterns in the municipal formations of Russia

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Abstract

This paper analyses the spatial patterns of internal migration in Russia using data on net migration gain/loss in 2200 municipal formations (MFs) in Russia for the 2012–2013 period. These MFs are grouped into age categories that correspond with different life-course stages. We define 16 classes of MFs with similar migration balance patterns for multiple age groups and characterize the most typical classes. The results of our analysis show that age-specific migration patterns are determined by the spatial characteristics of MFs—in particular, a municipality’s localization in the centreperiphery system and the advantages of the geographic location (e.g., resort area, natural resources). We find that a city’s population size and administrative status are also important migration factors. In addition, we reveal differences in inter-regional and intra-regional migration and define their structural characteristics. An analysis of age-specific net migration contributes to our understanding of internal migration factors and allows us to assess the impact of migration on a municipality’s age structure. In large cities and regional centres, migration results in younger populations, while in peripheral areas, it speeds up population ageing. In most of the MFs that we analysed, the migration of youth and adults ‘moves’ in opposite directions. This factor accelerates the impact of migration on the population age structure in areas of destination and origin and significantly influences a municipality’s current and prospective demographic parameters as well as the population’s patterns of settlement and spatial concentration or de-concentration both nationally and regionally.

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Fig. 1

Source: Authors’ calculations based on Rosstat data, 2012–2013

Fig. 2

Source: Authors’ calculations based on Rosstat data, 2012–2013

Fig. 3

Source: Authors’ calculations based on Rosstat data, 2012–2013

Fig. 4

Source: Rosstat data, 2012–2013

Fig. 5

Source: Rosstat data, 2012–2013

Fig. 6

Source: Rosstat data, 2012–2013

Fig. 7

Source: Rosstat data, 2012–2013

Fig. 8

Source: Rosstat data, 2012–2013

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Notes

  1. An urban okrug is an administrative-territorial unit that includes one or more urban settlements and subordinate rural settlements. In this paper, we use the urban okrug as a statistical category. The Russian typology of cities by population size only takes into account the urban population, ignoring the population of subordinate territories. We also use the term ‘city’ to refer to its spatial location.

  2. A municipal district is an administrative-territorial unit that includes urban and rural populations. A number of municipal districts include only rural populations. We did not consider intra-urban municipal districts in our analysis.

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Acknowledgements

The research leading to these results has received funding from the Basic Research Program at the National Research University Higher School of Economics.

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  1. National Research University Higher School of Economics, Moscow, Russian Federation

    Liliya Karachurina & Nikita Mkrtchyan

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  1. Liliya Karachurina
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Correspondence to Liliya Karachurina.

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Karachurina, L., Mkrtchyan, N. Age-specific net migration patterns in the municipal formations of Russia. GeoJournal 83, 119–136 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10708-016-9757-4

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