rural urban migration

Meaning

1. 1noununcountabletechnical

   The movement of people from the countryside to towns and cities, usually to find work or better services.

   Grammar: Uncountable: say 'rural urban migration is increasing', not 'are increasing'.

   Patterns

   • rural urban migration from something to something
   • a rise in rural urban migration
   • rural urban migration patterns

   Rural urban migration has increased rapidly in many developing countries.

   The government is trying to reduce rural urban migration by creating jobs in villages.

   Researchers studied rural urban migration from the northern provinces to the capital.

Common combinations

rural urban migration rates

Rural urban migration rates are highest among young adults.

a wave of rural urban migration

A wave of rural urban migration followed the new road construction.

rural urban migration patterns

The map shows rural urban migration patterns over twenty years.

cause rural urban migration

Poor harvests can cause rural urban migration.

Synonyms and how they differ

urbanization

Broader: it means the growth of towns and cities, which may include migration but also natural population growth.

internal migration

Wider term for any movement within a country, not only from countryside to city.

Opposites

Word family

migration noun

The general act of moving from one place to another.

migrate verb

To move from one place to another, often for work or better conditions.

migrant noun

A person who moves from one place to another.

Commonly confused: rural urban migration or immigration?

Practice

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Write a sentence using “rural urban migration”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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