Scale and zonation effects on internal migration indicators in the United Kingdom

Abstract

Consistent data from the last two population censuses in the United Kingdom are utilised in this paper to compare migration intensity and impact between two 1-year periods and to identify the scale and zonation effects on the selected migration indicators. The picture of change that emerges is one of declining migration intensities and a diminution in the distribution of migrants from urban to rural areas, with the exception of students and young workers whose net migration losses from rural areas are increasing and whose migration effectiveness is increasing. Scale effects are more apparent for migration intensity than effectiveness, the two components of the aggregate net migration rate, whereas zonation effects are relatively unimportant across scale for intensity but become more significant as zones become larger for effectiveness.