Paper 2 · urbanisation and migration
In cities in developing countries, in-migration is heavily concentrated in the 20 to 34 age group, with far fewer child and elderly migrants than the city's total resident population pyramid shows. Which explanation best accounts for this age pattern among migrants?
ACities offer stronger schooling opportunities, so most migrant households relocate mainly to enrol young children
BMigration is dominated by young working-age adults moving to seek employment in the city
CRetirement and healthcare provision draw the largest number of elderly migrants into the city
DMigration rates are roughly equal across every age group, with no particular age concentration
Explanation: Rural-to-urban migration streams in developing countries are age-selective: young adults, typically 20 to 34, migrate in disproportionate numbers because they are seeking employment and are more able to relocate than dependants, often leaving children and older relatives in the rural home area. This produces a migrant-population pyramid concentrated in the young working-age bands, unlike the broader-based total population pyramid of the city as a whole.
Derived from ZIMSEC Geography Paper 2, November 2004, Q4
