Light

Rural-to-Urban Migration

Definition

Rural-to-urban migration refers to the movement of people from countryside areas to cities or towns.

Analogy

Imagine if all the fish in a small pond decided to move into a big aquarium because there are more resources (like food) available. That's similar to rural-to-urban migration - people moving from smaller rural areas with fewer opportunities towards larger urban areas that offer more jobs, education facilities etc.

Related terms

Urbanization: The process by which towns and cities are formed and become larger as more people begin living and working in central areas.

Industrial Revolution: A period of major industrialization that took place during the late 1700s and early 1800s. It was characterized by developments in textiles, iron making, steam power etc., leading to significant shifts in population from rural areas to cities.

Great Migration (1916–1970): The movement of 6 million African Americans out of the rural Southern United States to the urban Northeast, Midwest, and West.