Geography of migration motives: Matching migration motives with socioeconomic data

Abstract

Abstract Motives behind internal migration reported by internal migrants often differ from those assumed by standard economic and social theories. This research aims to narrow the gap between the stated motives and those suggested by human capital models. It relates the net migration rates by specific motives to socioeconomic and sociodemographic variables at the LAU 1 level in the period 1997–2021 in Slovakia. This research establishes that most of the stated motives behind internal migration (housing and family) differ from those assumed by human capital theories. This finding is valid for motives stated at the proximal level. The analysis of migration rates and housing supply indicates a substantial concentration of interdistrict migrants in suburban districts of affluent metropolitan regions. This finding resonates with assumptions on the latent importance of employment and income for internal migration.