The Regional Concentration of China's Interprovincial Migration Flows, 1982–90

Internal migration has become an increasingly significant element in the redistribution of population and in the planning of socio-economic development in China. Based on the 1987 survey, the 1990 census, and additional data from the 1995 survey, this paper investigates the regional concentration of China's interprovincial migration flows and the gender differential in such concentration. The analysis was undertaken using the coefficient of variation (CV) indices of out- and in-migration flows for each province. The CV indices confirm that each province has its own migration flow field, and the differences lie mainly in the degree of the regional concentration. The asymmetry between out- and in-migration flow fields suggests that China's interprovincial migration has resulted from an interplay of several factors, such as the uneven distribution of the economy, inflow of trans-national capital into pockets of its provinces, and relaxed control over rural-to-urban migration. Findings also illustrate that a select number of provinces play an important role in redistributing migrants in China, specifically, in provinces such as Guangdong, Guangxi, Sichuan and Hunan. Investigation of the gender differential in the CV indices reveals that female migration flows are more regionally concentrated than male migration flows. This finding is significant in understanding migration constraints for Chinese women.