Migration and fertility in Thailand, 1960-1970

Abstract

A full assessment of the changing levels and rates of urbanization in less developed countries must include an evaluation of the roles of migration and fertility with particular attention to the comparative fertility of nonmigrant and migrant women in both urban and rural places. The present research draws data from sample tapes of the 1960 and 1970 Censuses of Thailand to analyze the fertility of migrants to Bangkok in relation to that of migrant women in smaller urban places and in rural areas and in comparison to nonmigrant women in the various residence categories. Account is taken on the timing of migration and the place of origin. Fertility is measured in terms of total children ever born. The findings indicate almost no differences between the fertility levels of lifetime migrants and those of native residents at place of destination. By contrast the fertility of 5-year migrants is below that of nonmigrants at both destination and origin with the lowest fertility characterizing women moving to Bangkok from other urban places. Overriding the differences by migraton status are the urban-rural differentials. Considerably higher rural fertility persists even after migration status is controlled. Fertility is higher in smaller urban places than in Bangkok. Morevover urban-origin migrants have lower fertility than those from rural places in each residence category but the lowest fertility is found among urban-origin migrants to Bangkok and the highest among rural-origin migrants to other rural areas suggesting that factors associated with both the selection and the adjustment of migrants have joint impact on fertility levels. (Authors modified)