Causes of rural-urban migration

In recent decades, cities have grown so large that now about 50% of the Earth's population lives in urban areas. There are several reasons for this occurrence. First is industrialization which is often marked by an increase in the importance of industry to an economy. The increasing industrialization of the nineteenth century resulted in the creation of many factory jobs with their promise of a better material life which often tended to be located in cities. In other words, industrialization leads to greater job opportunities as well as greater varieties of jobs which attracted many people from rural areas. Second is the establishment of schools. There were many schools established to educate the children of the new factory laborers. The promise of a better education persuaded many families to leave farming communities and move to the cities. Health is another major factor. People, especially the elderly are often forced to move to cities where there are doctors and hospitals that can cater for their health needs as urban areas have better basic services as well as other specialist services that aren't found in rural areas. Finally, as the cities grew, people established places of leisure, entertainment, and culture, such as sports stadiums, theaters, and museums. For many people, these facilities made city life appear more interesting than life on the farm and therefore drew them away from rural communities.

Posted by: Esha Khiani 01PAE