Interregional migration and life strategies of the Russian youth

Abstract

There is lack of studies associating youth migration with a life course in Russia. The article aims to reveal the effect of interregional migration on the life course of young adults (23-34 y.o.) using the data from the nationally representative survey “Person, Family, Society” undertaken by RANEPA in 2020 and data from in-depth interviews with young people who moved to Moscow, St. Petersburg, Tomsk, Voronezh to get higher education. In the study interregional migrants are defined as people for whom current region of residence differs from the region where they completed secondary education. Our results suggest that migration is a strong factor of personal growth for youth. The comparison of young migrants with non-migrants demonstrates that the interregional migration have a distinct positive effect on career success, income level and promote greater independence and relying on your own resources, solving housing issues among them. The comparison of young migrants and non-migrants demonstrates that the interregional migration has a distinct positive effect on career success, income level and promote greater independence and self-reliance including resolving the housing problems. At the same time migration moderately affects marriage strategies but it contributes to the postponement of childbearing.