The geography of older adults' migration in China: Spatial patterns and driving forces

Abstract

China is ageing rapidly, and its large‐scale internal migration process continues. These two interwoven processes pose serious, yet understudied, challenges for the country. Based on the 1% national population survey conducted in 2015, this study aimed to examine the scale, spatial patterns and forces driving the migration of older adults (over‐60‐year‐olds) in China. The findings reveal that the scale of older adults' migration in China is notably smaller than that of younger people but follows a similar pattern – in that people generally migrate from the central and western regions to the eastern region and are concentrated in few destinations. Generally, older migrants have better health and socioeconomic conditions than their nonmigrant peers. The driving forces behind older adults' migration include family reunions, employment opportunities and the quality of housing, in which family reunions come first. This study not only fills the knowledge gap regarding the geography of older adults in China but also highlights the significance of ‘family‐led migration’, thus supporting the family ties theory in a transitional country with Confucius culture.