Causes and Effects of Migration from Rural Areas to Cities

Photo by Owen Cavlys (One Wilshire Building, LA, USA)

Get access to 97+ Part 2 topics given between January and November 2019. Click here. 

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Today, more than half of the world's population lives in an urban area. 

In this lesson, we are going to focus on the push and pull factors of migration, the challenges people face when moving to cities as well as the effects on cities and existing city dwellers. 


PUSH FACTORS 

Push factors are the reasons people leave the countryside. 

Here are some main reasons why people leave rural areas. 

Causes of mass migration are the push factors which include: 

• It is quite challenging for people to make a fixed monthly income in rural areas as crops are easily affected by the seasons and natural disasters. 
• Social services such as health care and education for country dwellers are generally of poor quality. 
• Rural residents have limited access to health care. 
• In the poorest areas, people lack basic necessities such as water and electricity. 
• Rural people experience social isolation due to poor infrastructure and limited access to information. 
• Rural dwellers could be forced to leave their homes in the countryside due to natural disasters such as drought, flooding or rising sea levels which affect their main source of income. 

PULL FACTORS  

Pull factors are the reasons people move to the city. 

Let's look at some key points why people are attracted to urban areas. 

Causes of mass migration are the pull factors which include: 

• One of the pull factors of living and working in the city could be making a steady monthly income. People move to cities in search of work and a better life.  
• Children can get a better education which will help them build a more secure future, and perhaps join a profession. 
• Urban residents have access to high quality health care. 
• Urban dwellers have access to safe water and sanitation. 
• Modern cities provide convenient transport systems which make commuting more accessible and reliable. 

CHALLENGES WHICH PEOPLE FACE WHEN MOVING TO CITIES: 

• People no longer belong to their rural hometowns, and yet, they don't quite fit into urban life either. 
• Migrants find it hard to assimilate into urban society.  
• Building relationships can be difficult because low wages make young male migrants reluctant to approach potential partners. 
• Long working hours make finding and maintaining a relationship difficult. 
• Loneliness is a major complaint of the new generation of migrants. 
• People feel frustrated at the gap between expectation and reality as well as inability to assimilate into a city. 
• In general, migrants tend to face high pressure from work, low satisfaction in terms of their wages, and an overall lack of happiness. 

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Rapid urbanisation can come at a cost for cities, let alone to the people who live there. 

SOME OF THE EFFECTS OF MIGRATION ON EXISTING CITY DWELLERS: 

• Due to the significantly high numbers of population in the city, housing can be a problem. The higher demand makes housing prices increase. 
• Crime and violence are typically more severe in urban areas. 
• Traffic congestion remains the most visible and frequent problem which urban citizens face. 
• Another widespread problem is urban air pollution which can have a number of negative effects on people's health. 
• Large cities are overcrowded, especially in low- and middle-income countries. 

VOCABULARY 

• country dwellers | rural dwellers | rural residents | villagers | rural citizens 
• city dwellers | urban dwellers | urban residents | urban citizens 
• a new generation of city residents
• rural settings | rural environment 
• urban settings | urban environment 
• migrant workers 
• go into / enter / join a profession 
• health facilities (hospitals, clinics)  
• health care | health services 
• transport systems | transport facilities 
• challenge - a new or difficult task that tests somebody’s ability and skill 
• assimilate someone into something 
• reluctant (SYNONYM: hesitant) 
• frustrated at/with something 
• low- and middle-income countries 
• high-income countries 

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Click below to read some of our IELTS related lessons: 
Discourse Markers for IELTS Speaking and Everyday English 
IELTS Speaking Test: Means of Transport 
IELTS Speaking Test: Arriving Early and Being Patient 

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Other lessons: 
City Life Going out
Cities - Talk about your area 
Cities - Advantages and Disadvantages of Urban Life 
Countryside - Advantages and Disadvantages of Rural Life 

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