Internal migration and population concentration in Russia: age-specific patterns

This paper analyses age-specific migration exchange between municipal formations (MFs) in Russia based on the net migration and population density data covering the period 2012-2018. Unlike many other developed countries, Russia's population concentrates in only 2-5% of the country's territory-in large cities and their suburbs. We utilise population density as an alternative measure for distinguishing between urban and rural populations (which is a formal distinction in most cases) in the urban-rural continuum. The results indicate that internal migration pattern in Russia corresponds to the urbanisation stage of the urban development model and is observed across all age groups. Net migration across all age groups is higher in more densely populated MFs. Migration to more densely populated territories peaks in the 15-19 age group and seems to have no viable alternative directions. Besides the analysis of internal migration role in the urban development patterns in Russia, the paper also contributes to a better understanding of the relationship between age-specific migration and urban development in the Russian context.