Internal Migration in India
š¢ General Migration Data
- Total internal migrants in 2011: 453 million, or 37.5% of India’s population.
- Major sending states: Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, West Bengal.
- Major receiving states: Maharashtra, Gujarat, Delhi, Kerala.
š Trends Over Time
- Migration rate: Increased from 27.43% in 1991 to 37.47% in 2011.
- Female migration: Much higher than male migration throughout (53.23% vs. 22.62% in 2011).
- Rural-to-rural migration: Still dominant, but declining ā 64.5% in 1991 to 53.8% in 2011.
- Rural-to-urban migration: Rising slowly ā 17.7% (1991) to 19.7% (2011).
- Urban-to-urban migration: Increased from 11.7% to 19.7% (1991ā2011).
š§ Migration Streams (2011)
| Stream | Total (%) | Male (%) | Female (%) |
| RuralāRural | 53.8 | 31.3 | 63.3 |
| RuralāUrban | 19.7 | 30.1 | 15.3 |
| UrbanāUrban | 19.7 | 29.9 | 15.4 |
| UrbanāRural | 6.8 | 8.6 | 6.0 |
š Distance of Migration
| Type | 1981 (%) | 2011 (%) |
| Intra-district | 64.96 | 61.68 |
| Inter-district | 23.02 | 26.26 |
| Interstate | 12.02 | 12.06 |
š¼ Reasons for Migration (2011 Census)
- Marriage: Most common reason overall ā 46.6% total, 66.7% among women.
- Employment: Most common for men ā 24.1% of male migrants.
- Education: 2.3% among males; highest in Manipur (3.3%).
- Business: Less than 2% nationally.
- Move with household: 14.2% of total migrants.
š State-Level Highlights (2011)
- Highest total migration rate: Chandigarh (67.09%), Goa (77.39%), Maharashtra (51.02%).
- Lowest migration rates: Tripura (8.2%), Mizoram (8.3%), Nagaland.
- Highest interstate out-migration rate: Bihar (30 per 1000 population).
- Highest in-migration due to work: Delhi and Chandigarh for men; Puducherry for women.
š» Gender Dynamics
- Female migrants dominate due to marriage.
- Male migrants are more mobile for employment/business.
- Urbanization, literacy, and land fragmentation are key factors influencing male migration.