Mechanical population movement is a concept better known as migration. It is a process in which there is a change of place of residence of social groups or individuals, expressed in their movement to another country, geographical area or region.
Mechanical movement in some countries
The level of migration and its orientation vary significantly in different states. For example, the mechanical movement of the population of the countries of North America is characterized by migration growth. In other words, the number of people arriving here for long-term or permanent residence is greater than the number of those leaving. In other countries, for example, in Azerbaijan, the opposite ratio is observed. The mechanical movement of the population in Russia is characterized by the fact that natural decline of 75% is made up for by migration. Russia in its volume is in third place in the world, second only to the United States and Germany. About ¾ migrants are Russian-speaking population from the CIS countries.
Broad and narrow migration
In a broad sense, it is regarded as any movement of people. In the narrow, it refers to their crossing the borders of certain territories, in which there is a change of place of residence either for a long time, or forever.
External and internal migration
Migration can be classified according to a number of signs. For example, depending on the nature of the border crossing by the population, the following varieties are distinguished.
- Internal migration is the movement of people within one state between economic-geographical or administrative regions, settlements (moving from village to village, from city to city, from village to city, from city to village).
- External migration refers to crossing the borders of a country. It includes immigration and emigration.
Emigration and immigration
Let's talk about how these two concepts are similar in sound. The word "emigration" comes from the Latin term meaning "resettle," "evict." Such a mechanical movement of the population is called moving (forced or voluntary, organized or self-made) to another state for temporary residence for a long time, or for permanent residence. In most cases, it is associated with a change in citizenship.
The word "immigration" also has a Latin origin and translates as "move in." Such a mechanical movement of the population is its entry into the country for temporary (long) or permanent residence, mainly with a change in citizenship.
Migration in demography is considered an integral part of another process called “population reproduction”. From this position, it is often defined precisely as a mechanical movement of the population.
Quantitative indicators of the mechanical movement of the population
When studying migration, as well as any other phenomena related to demography, it is important to know what their quantitative characteristics are. A mechanical movement of the population is a phenomenon that, with respect to persons residing in any territory (city, region, country, etc.), is divided into arrivals from outside and the departure of persons beyond its borders.
The migration balance (net migration, or net migration) is the difference between the number of arrivals and departures for a given period of time. There is another important indicator. This is the volume of migration. It is defined as the sum of arrivals and departures. The volume of migration is also called gross migration, or gross migration.
We can express the number of arrivals and departures in absolute numbers, allowing us to visualize what the overall mechanical movement of the population is. This view, however, does not reveal the intensity of the process of interest to us. After all, there is a relationship between the total population and the number of departures and arrivals, which also needs to be taken into account. Therefore, the mechanical movement of the population is characterized by a number of relative indicators. Let's talk about the most important of them.
Relative indicators
The intensity of migration is estimated in the form of relative indicators, which are called intensity factors. We list the main ones.
- Arrival rate (designated as Kp) is the ratio of the number of arrivals to the population of a given territory.
- The coefficient of disposal (Sq) is the ratio of the number of dropouts to the population of the territory.
- Relative migration balance (Ks) - the ratio of the difference in the number of arrivals and departures in the population.
- The general coefficient of mobility (Cr) is the ratio of the sum of departures and arrivals, that is, all migration movements, to the number of inhabitants of a particular territory.
These are the main indicators of the mechanical movement of the population.
Migration components
In the analysis of migration, it is often necessary to divide it into separate components. Briefly describe the most important of them. Migration flows are usually distinguished. These are groups of migrants who have common territories of arrival or departure. One more component can be called, which is often distinguished by researchers. We are talking about migration cohorts, which are a collection of individuals who are united by a common migration period.
The composition of persons who are included in the mechanical movement of the population is also of great importance. These persons are characterized by social affiliation, age and gender, nationality, etc. After all, migration mobility among population groups is heterogeneous. The composition of migrants leads to significant changes in the structure of the population in areas of arrival and places of departure.
Relationship of Demographics and Migration
The mechanical movement of the population is associated with specific events in human life. For example, with the completion or beginning of work, the end of a particular educational institution, military service, etc. Marriage and termination of marriage, childbirth and other events related to the demographic cycle are an important part of every person’s life. Therefore, the parameters related to demography (marital status, age of children and their number, etc.), have a significant impact on the processes associated with migration. They are one of the important criteria by which populations are distinguished in the study of its mechanical movement.
As mentioned above, different groups are characterized by different mobility. Migration, which is studied in terms of indicators of its intensity within individual categories of the population, is called differential. Her study is important for understanding the differences that marked the mechanical movement of the population of different regions, age, ethnic, social, professional and other groups. When studying this type of migration, first of all, attention is paid to the differences that exist in age groups. Indeed, these associations vary significantly in terms of the level of mechanical movement of the population.
The relationship of migration with gender
Indicators of migratory mobility also vary by gender. Among migrants in many states, the advantage of men is revealed. However, this rule is not universal. In some countries, in certain periods there was an increased proportion of women in migration flows. For example, in Europe in the past it was the fair sex that prevailed among those who left. Based on this, E. Ravenstein, an English researcher of the 19th century, created empirical laws of migration. One of them said that women in general are more prone to migration than men.
Number of children and marital status
The mobility of the population also depends on the number of children in the family and on the marital status. However, these dependencies are not as one-sided as in the case of the relationship of the intensity of the process of interest to us with age. Not only the number of children can affect migratory mobility. In turn, their number can be determined by the degree of mobility. For example, if a family moves frequently, it may put off the issue of having children. Consequently, their number is decreasing.
Reproduction rate
Migration mobility of the population affects the intensity of the processes of reproduction. And this applies to the reproduction of both closed and open populations. In the latter case, migration directly changes its composition and number. Shifts in the age and sex structure are especially important. If men predominate among migrants, and also if there is a high proportion of representatives of the younger groups of people of working age (16-30 years old), feminization of residents of this territory is observed. In addition, this leads to its aging in areas of departure and to a high number of young men in places of introduction.
Mechanical and natural population movement
In conclusion, I would like to note the difference between two important concepts. The mechanical and natural movement of the population is not the same thing. Natural movement is reproduction. We briefly talked about its relationship with migration in the article. It is characterized by the level of natural increase, mortality, fertility, life expectancy of the population. Indicators of natural growth, mortality, and fertility are quantitatively expressed as per mille per thousand inhabitants.