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The changing trends of internal migration and urbanization in China: new evidence from the seventh National Population Census

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Abstract

This paper draws on information provided by China’s 2020 National Population Census and several previous censuses to review briefly the changing trends of internal migration and urbanization in China. An examination of data from the recent census reveals several characteristics of migration: population movements are more active than ever, there has been dramatic growth in urban-to-urban migration, and there has been explosive growth in the number of mismatches between people’s place of residence and place of household registration. Census data also reveals the impact migration is having on urban population trends: China has entered a more mature stage of urbanization; movement of the floating population becomes the leading factor in urban population growth. From a policy point of view, this paper also suggests that China’s urbanization strategy should consider the diversity of migrants; and promoting the effective supply of public service based on place of residence is urgently needed.

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Fig. 1

Source: Calculated based on relevant data from previous national censuses and national 1% population sample surveys. The figures and tables that follow in this paper all use date from the same sources

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Fig. 4

Source: Data for world and developed country urbanization levels is from World Urbanization Prospects: The 2018 Revision, the United Nations

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Funding

This study is supported by Tianjin’s Philosophy and Social Science Planning Foundation (Grant no. TJSRQN19XSX-005).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Social Development, Tianjin University of Technology, Tianjin, China

    Mengyao Cheng

  2. Center for Population and Development Studies, Renmin University of China, Beijing, China

    Chengrong Duan

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  1. Mengyao Cheng
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Correspondence to Chengrong Duan.

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Cheng, M., Duan, C. The changing trends of internal migration and urbanization in China: new evidence from the seventh National Population Census. China popul. dev. stud. 5, 275–295 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42379-021-00093-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42379-021-00093-7

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