The selectivity of rural migrants in the Ecuadorian Mountains

Abstract

This work examines the characteristics of recent migrants from rural homes in Ecuador's mountain range to urban areas. They use an inquiry on homes specifically connected with internal migration. This allows for cross-tabulation by sex and combinations of origin-destination, and provides information on the migrants who do not normally appear in censuses or more generic investigations. Differences in basic demographic characteristics are observed, as well as reasons for migration, and economic activities previous to migration both with migrants and non-migrants. Differences can also be observed in the characteristics of the migrants by place of origin and destination. This information is useful as a means of evaluating the determining factors and the consequences of internal migration. The results illustrate the value of the extensive samples (and of the specialized sampling techniques for selecting homes with migrants) in breaking down information on migrants, in particular, for the presentation of results based on this geographic kind of move.