Internal Migration

Abstract

Research on internal migration covers a wide range of issues that pertain to the reasons for moving, the distance and direction of movement within a country, and the process of decision making involved in undertaking these moves. Given the rich field of relevant research objectives and the substantial developments in migration theory, it is clear that the availability of a broad set of data that includes detailed information on various aspects of life is one of the key factors in ensuring continued progress in the analysis of internal migration and its development. The available official aggregated data are useful for descriptive structural analyses; however, they are limited in their ability to explain causal relations. The same holds true for cross-sectional data. Some of the longitudinal datasets discussed consist of retrospectively collected event history data that are not suitable for acquiring essential information about the attitudes and psychological states of the respondents over time. Several prospective longitudinal survey data do not represent essential aspects of internal migration. Data should at least include information on the place of residence (on the smallest possible spatial level), typologies pertaining to the characteristics of the place of residence, any change in residence, reasons for a move, the plan to migrate, the type of dwelling and the neighborhood, as well as on commuting.