15.4.3 Consequences of rural–urban migration in China Rural–urban migration in China has profound effects on both rural and urban areas, impacting economic development, social structures and the environment. The table below highlights some of the key outcomes of this migration trend.
FIGURE6 Some effects of migration on urban and rural areas in China Urban centres
Rural areas
China’s urban population rose from around 170 million people in 1978 to 941 million in 2024. Tens of millions of people are classified as rural dwellers, even though they spend most of their time working in the cities and are denied access to social services, including subsidised housing, income support and education. Up to 40 per cent of rural income comes from urban workers sending money to their families.
In 1949, 89 per cent of people in China lived in rural areas; by 2023 it was 35 per cent. Labourers from rural regions working in cities must leave their families for months at a time or more. Children in rural areas are increasingly being raised by grandparents and relatives, as their parents travel to the cities to earn more money. A shift to an increased urban population results in reduced population pressures on the land.
There are currently 5 ‘megacities’ in China with populations of over 10 million people.
SkillBuilder discussion Geographical inquiry Read through the effects of migration on urban and rural areas in China ( FIGURE5 ). For each example, discuss what the next consequence would be? What is internal displacement? The examples from Australia and China mostly concern residents who have chosen to move voluntarily. For some people, this is not always the case. Internal displacement occurs when people are forced to leave their home due to conflict or environmental disasters but remain within their country’s borders. A total of 40.5 million new internal displacements occurred by the end of 2020, with 76 per cent of these due to disasters and 24 per cent due to conflict and violence. During this period, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Syrian Arab Republic had the highest number of new displacements due to conflict and violence, at 2.2 and 1.8 million, respectively. 15.4.4
438 Jacaranda Humanities Alive 8 Victorian Curriculum Third Edition
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