Regional Population Change Research Articles

Psychological and social wellbeing associated with regional population change in Finland

AbstractRegional depopulation is an increasingly common demographic issue in many countries, as population growth becomes concentrated in small number of urban centres. Depopulation has adverse effects on the region's socioeconomic development, and often leads to worse living circumstances, such as poor availability of services. Population growth, by contrast, has many socioeconomic benefits but may also introduce unwanted consequences, such as urban alienation. However, the associations of regional population change with inhabitants' psychological and social wellbeing have not been examined as extensively as the associations with socioeconomic outcomes. With a large survey dataset from Finland (n = 99,034 participants from 299 municipalities), we examined whether regional, municipality‐level population decline and growth over the preceding 10 years were associated with psychological and social wellbeing of the inhabitants of the municipalities. We were specifically interested in whether growth and decline were both related to these outcomes, or whether the associations were more pronounced for either decline or growth. Overall negative population change was related to lower social wellbeing (e.g., lower social support) and that these associations were more pronounced for the adverse associations of population decline than for the beneficial associations of population growth (e.g., less frequent social contact and higher risk of loneliness). Population change was not associated with inhabitants' depressive symptoms. These findings suggest that regional population decline can be particularly relevant for worsening social wellbeing of the inhabitants.

Asynchronous Holocene human population changes in north and south China as related to animal resource utilization

During the Holocene, rich Neolithic and Bronze cultures developed in the middle and lower reaches of Yellow River valley (north China) and Yangtze River valley (south China), making them the core areas of past human activities. Thus, it is important to reveal the process and driving mechanism of regional population change. Agriculture development has always been taken as the key driver of population changes, and current studies mainly focus on the role that cultivation played, however, it is still unclear if animal resource utilization also contributed to regional population changes. Here, the spatiotemporal changes of population and domestic animal utilization levels in north and south China from 10 to 2 ka BP have been reconstructed based on 27,935 archaeological sites and faunal remains data from 94 sites, respectively, and the change in potential wild animal resources has been simulated by the Minimum Terrestrial Resource Model (MTRM). The results show asynchronous changes of population occurred in north and south China during 10–2 ka BP, which were correlated with regional domestic and potential wild animal resource utilization. In north China, more significant population growth corresponded to a greater increase of domestic animal ratios and a sharp decline of potential wild animal resources after 8 ka BP. In south China, less significant population growth was accompanied by a slower increase of domestic animal ratios and stable variations of potential wild animal resources. This research suggests that different changes of potential wild animal resources in north and south China contributed to spatial variations in survival pressure, utilization level of domestic animals, and population growth, which was further determined by asynchronous changes of precipitation in the two regions. This study explains the impact of climate changes on population from a new perspective.

Internal migration and settlement patterns in Australia's regional urban centres

AbstractThe distribution of population between metropolitan regions and their rural counterparts is a topic of interest, due to the growth pressures in large cities and areas of decline in some, typically remote regions. In Australia, fostering population growth in regional urban centres (RUCs) has been a long‐term goal of government policy. Understanding the different profiles, structures, and population dynamics of Australia's RUCs is critical in informing Australian regional development, as well as factors in regional population dynamics in general. This research is focused on patterns of population change through internal migration across Australian RUCs. In addition to a detailed spatial analysis of patterns of population migration flows, this research offers a comprehensive analysis of a range of regional social, economic and infrastructure development factors and their effects on regional migration and population changes. The outputs of the method are new evidence to inform the future regional plan to increase economic and population growth in RUCs. This research contributes to population research and regional planning and provides a baseline for the prepandemic status of regional population dynamics in Australia.

Living on the edge: Predicting songbird response to management and environmental changes across an ecotone.

Effective wildlife management requires robust information regarding population status, habitat requirements, and likely responses to changing resource conditions. Single-species management may inadequately conserve communities and result in undesired effects to non-target species. Thus, management can benefit from understanding habitat relationships for multiple species. Pinyon pine and juniper (Pinus spp. and Juniperus spp.) are expanding into sagebrush-dominated (Artemisia spp.) ecosystems within North America and mechanical removal of these trees is frequently conducted to restore sagebrush ecosystems and recover Greater Sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus). However, pinyon-juniper removal effects on non-target species are poorly understood, and changing pinyon-juniper woodland dynamics, climate, and anthropogenic development may obscure conservation priorities. To better predict responses to changing resource conditions, evaluate non-target effects of pinyon-juniper removal, prioritize species for conservation, and inform species recovery within pinyon-juniper and sagebrush ecosystems, we modeled population trends and density-habitat relationships for four sagebrush-associated, four pinyon-juniper-associated, and three generalist songbird species with respect to these ecosystems. We fit hierarchical population models to point count data collected throughout the western United States from 2008 to 2020. We found regional population changes for 10 of 11 species investigated; 6 of which increased in the highest elevation region of our study. Our models indicate pinyon-juniper removal will benefit Brewer's Sparrow (Spizella breweri), Green-tailed Towhee (Pipilo chlorurus), and Sage Thrasher (Oreoscoptes montanus) densities. Conversely, we predict largest negative effects of pinyon-juniper removal for species occupying early successional pinyon-juniper woodlands: Bewick's Wren (Thryomanes bewickii), Black-throated Gray Warblers (Setophaga nigrescens), Gray Flycatcher (Empidonax wrightii), and Juniper Titmouse (Baeolophus ridgwayi). Our results highlight the importance of considering effects to non-target species before implementing large-scale habitat manipulations. Our modeling framework can help prioritize species and regions for conservation action, infer effects of management interventions and a changing environment on wildlife, and help land managers balance habitat requirements across ecosystems.

Modelling the factors affecting the spatiotemporal distribution of cabbage stem flea beetle (Psylliodes chrysocephala) larvae in winter oilseed rape (Brassica napus) in the UK.

Cabbage stem flea beetle (CSFB; Psylliodes chrysocephala L.) management in oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) has become an urgent issue in the absence of permitted and effective insecticides. Understanding the meteorological and management factors affecting their population dynamics has become critical to the development of pest management strategies. The spatio-temporal changes in CSFB larval populations were assessed both in autumn and spring, in the UK from 2003 to 2017 (a period encompassing pre-and post-neonicotinoid insecticide restriction). After the neonicotinoid ban in 2013, the number of larvae both in autumn and spring increased 10-fold in the UK. When neonicotinoids were available, later sown crops contained fewer larvae than early sown crops, and bigger fields had fewer larvae than smaller fields, whereas after the ban, bigger fields tended to have more larvae than smaller fields. Wet and mild/hot Septembers were related with higher numbers of larvae when neonicotinoids were available and with lower larval numbers after the neonicotinoid ban. Low temperatures in December and January combined with high rainfall were related with high numbers of larvae in spring both before and after the neonicotinoid ban. This study will help to produce decision support systems that allow future predictions of regional CSFB population changes and will help growers and consultants to adjust their management methods to reduce the risk of high infestations. © 2023 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

CHANGES IN DETERMINANTS OF POPULATION CHANGE IN LOCAL DISTRICTS UNDER THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Using a linear mixed model and geographically weighted regression, we analyzed changes in the relationship between regional population change and land use or accessibility indicators under the COVID-19 pandemic. The results showed that population concentration in the city center was eased in 2020 and 2021, and that migration and settlement in existing residential areas increased temporarily, especially in 2020. In addition, the closer the area was to the nearest station, the more the population still increased, and access to commodity shopping facilities became less attractive.

Urban–rural population changes and spatial inequalities in Sweden

AbstractThis paper documents regional population changes in Sweden since 1860 and investigates how these changes link to regional economic development (regional GDP). We combine long‐term decade population data for the historical counties (1860–2020) with detailed annual population observations for municipalities (1968–2021). As industrialization picked up speed, this benefited regions all around the country in terms of production, at the same time as regional population patterns started to diverge. After a slowdown in the regional GDP convergence processes during the low‐growth period of the 1980s, ‘double divergence,’ in both population and regional GDP per capita, has characterized Swedish growth patterns since the 1990s.

Experimental natural disturbance-based silviculture systems maintain mature forest bird assemblage long-term in Maine (USA)

Natural disturbance-based silvicultural systems are forestry approaches that emulate ecological patterns and processes and are assumed to accommodate native bird assemblages better than conventional alternatives. The Acadian Forest Ecosystem Research Program (AFERP) represents the longest-running experimental application of expanding gap approaches to ecological forestry in the northeastern US. This project assessed long-term ecological effects of two expanding gap silvicultural systems (irregular expanding-group shelterwood with reserves and expanding-group selection with reserves) as indicated by the abundance, diversity, and composition of the bird assemblage associated with mature forest conditions. Birds were surveyed using a territory mapping method during three periods: pre-harvest, immediately after initial gap creation, and twenty-five years later after the third harvest entry. Declines in bird abundance and diversity occurred in all treatments and paralleled declines in abundance observed at regional scales, suggesting that treatments did not cause declines. Species-specific responses varied, but 65% were similar to regional population changes. Assemblage similarity among treatments was stable through time. The natural disturbance-based silvicultural systems studied did not disrupt the mature forest bird assemblage following three harvest entries despite declines in bird abundance and two measures of diversity across all treatments. Minor changes in the structure of the bird assemblages were noted, which corresponded to habitat elements associated with the gap harvests. Natural disturbance-based approaches to forest management have broad potential to meet landowner objectives while minimizing negative ecological impacts on mature forest ecosystems.

Spatio-temporal demographic dynamics of the human populations from Northwest Patagonia and central Chile during the Pleistocene-Holocene

Our goal is to study the spatio-temporal changes in human demographic density in Northwest Patagonia and central Chile throughout the Late Pleistocene-Holocene using geo-referenced absolute dates. Given the heterogeneous environmental and cultural characteristics of this region, differences in the demographic dynamics across geographic areas are expected. Using 1,284 absolute dates we explored different null and continuous piecewise linear (CPL) models of regional population change. We also estimated density curves along with a local geometric growth rate analysis. The best fit model was a flexible CPL model, showing an initial increase in population density between ca. 15,500–12,500 years BP, a second rise after 6,500 years BP and a third increase after 2,500 years BP, although disparate spatio-temporal changes in the relative density were found. These results were robust when the effect of potential biases was considered –e.g., dates with large errors, marine-reservoir and old-wood effects– and the frequency distribution of absolute dates and sites were estimated. We observed significant spatio-temporal changes in human population density, which might be related to the complex environmental and cultural changes: the megafaunal extinction, the incorporation of marine resources and the acquisition of techniques for cultivating and processing food. The results of this study remark that, compared to other types of data, the use of absolute dates allows paleo-demographic reconstructions at regional geographical scales with higher spatial and temporal resolution.

COVID-19 and internal migration in Serbia-geographical perspective

Internal migration is an essential part of regional population change. Driven by various determinants, internal migration has been unequal across time and space. Migration responses to the changes in societal circumstances make it relevant to investigate the spatial and temporal dimension of internal migration in Serbia before and in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak. The research aims to identify to what extent and in what way the pandemic has changed the magnitude and geographical patterns of internal migration in Serbia. The study is based on additionally processed official statistics on internal migration for the period 2018-2020, from March to December for each year, at the municipal, district (oblast, plural-oblasti), and regional levels. These are aggregate administrative data on usual residence registration by month. The derived data on the net migration rate is cartographically presented using the classification method natural Breaks (Jenks). Spatial dependence was assessed applying the spatial autocorrelation method, based on the Local Moran statistic. The results revealed that the pandemic affected not only the volume of internal migration but also its spatial patterns. The findings present new insights on the role of internal migration in reallocation of population across Serbia before and during the COVID-19 pandemic while underlying the importance of further research to deepen the understanding of internal migration trends upon the COVID-19 outbreak.

A Study on Changes in Japanese Regional Industrial Structure Based on the Composition of Employees

Purpose: This study aims to analyze changes in the structure of local industries through changes in the number of employees by industry in Japan. This is to reason out the characteristics of the region through changes in the employment composition and labor productivity, noting that the region’s unique industrial structure is formed due to the natural environment and geographical conditions. Research design, data, and methodology: This study aims to characterize changes in the structure of local industries. The local economy varies in the pattern of changes in production structure depending on the type of production activity. To determine this, first, research design examines the situation of Japanese industrial structure. Second, the changes in local industries would be identified through changes in the composition of employees in each industry. Third, the relation with population changes that affect changes in industrial structure would be analyzed. Results: This study identified the characteristics of the local industrial structure by using variables such as employment composition, labor productivity, and population growth. As a result, first, the proportion of employed people in each industry was changing rapidly. Second, industrial structure change patterns appeared differently in areas of secondary industries and areas of tertiary industries. Third, there was a correlation between the rate of increase and decrease in population and employment. Each industry affected regional population changes in population inflow areas and population outflow areas in different ways, although the level of degree that regional population changes affects each industry was different. Implications: Industrial structure changes due to the various factors such as social structure. In particular, the composition of the local population by age plays an important role. This is because in the population inflow area, a virtuous cycle that attracts the new population is created by the ripple effect of the industry, but on the contrary, in the population outflow area, the decline of the industry quickly appears and it leads to a vicious cycle of the local economy.

Cross transplantation of ileal content from OVLT lesioned rats to SHAM rats attenuates DOCA‐salt hypertension

Despite the growing interest in understanding the role of gut microbe-host interaction in the maintenance of health or disease states, a limited number of studies have been suggested relationship between gut microbiome changes and specific types of hypertension. The deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA)-salt model of hypertension in rats is known to have a neurogenic component linked to increased sympathetic nervous system activity. As such, our lab has recently shown the hypertensive response in DOCA-treated rats requires an intact organum vasculosum of the lamina terminalis (OVLT), a central hypothalamic circumventricular organ. Previously, we hypothesize the OVLT mediates changes in the gut microbiome associated with concomitant hypertension. Herein, we report the hypertensive effects of DOCA-salt treatment were significantly attenuated throughout the 24-hour day/night cycle in OLVT lesioned rats on days 1, 3, and 9-21 of DOCA treatment compared with sham rats. Increased blood pressure in DOCA-salt treated rats was accompanied by specific changes in regional gut microbial populations yet was mitigated and offset by lesion of the OVLT. Therefore, our current hypothesis is that cross transplanted ileal content between OVLT lesion (OVLTx) and SHAM animals will decrease hypertension during DOCA salt treatment. Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly selected for OVLTx (n=3) or SHAM (n=3) operation. After 1 week of recovery, rats underwent uninephrectomy as well as implantation of telemetric blood pressure transducers and indwelling ileal catheters. After a 14-day recovery period, all rats were given a 2.0% NaCl diet and ad libitum 0.9% NaCl drinking solution. After 5 control days, each rat received a 100 mg SQ DOCA pellet implant. Exactly ten days after initiating DOCA treatment, rats underwent daily ileal content transplantation for 6 days. Approximately 2 ml of ileal content was withdrawn from the catheter in all rats and cross transplanted (between OVLTx and SHAM rats) on days 10-16 of DOCA treatment. Mean arterial pressure (MAP) was measured during 5 control days and 16 days of DOCA treatment. On days 3-6 and 9-10 of DOCA treatment, the chronic pressor response to DOCA was attenuated in OVLTx rats such that by day 10 MAP increased 16±2 mmHg in SHAM rats when compared to only 6±1 mmHg in OVLTx rats. After 6 days of cross-transplantation, MAP had decreased 11±1 mmHg in SHAM rats, whereas MAP in OVLTx increased 8±2 mmHg. Ileal content cross transplantation from OVLTx rats produced a strong reversal of the chronic hypertensive response to DOCA in SHAM rats, and therefore these results support a prominent role of an OVLT-sympathetic-gut microbiome axis in the development of hypertension.

DOCA-salt hypertension and the role of the OVLT-sympathetic-gut microbiome axis.

Hypertension is a multifaceted condition influenced by genetic and environmental factors and estimated to cause 9.4 million deaths globally every year. Recently, there has been growing interest in understanding the gut microbe-host interaction in the maintenance of health or disease states, but relatively few studies have shown an association between the gut microbiome and specific types of hypertension. The deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA)-salt model of hypertension in rats is known to have a neurogenic component linked to increased sympathetic nervous system activity. As such, our lab has recently shown the hypertensive response in DOCA treated rats requires an intact organum vasculosum of the lamina terminalis (OVLT), a central hypothalamic circumventricular organ. Currently, we hypothesize the OVLT mediates changes in the gut microbiome associated with concomitant hypertension. Herein, we report that the hypertensive effects of DOCA-salt treatment were significantly attenuated throughout the 24-hour day/night cycle in OLVT lesioned rats on days 1, 3, and 9-21 of DOCA treatment compared with sham rats. Increased blood pressure (BP) in DOCA-salt treated rats was accompanied by specific changes in regional gut microbial populations yet was mitigated and offset by lesion of the OVLT. Furthermore, bacterial populations in OVLT-lesioned rats with attenuated hypertension more closely resembled those in normal control rats. We conclude that DOCA-salt hypertension is associated with specific microbiome changes in the gut, and the attenuated hypertensive effects of DOCA-salt in OVLT-lesioned rats is mediated in part through counteracting changes in these bacterial populations.

Agglomeration economies, congestion diseconomies, and fertility dynamics in a two-region economy

Using a small, open, two-region economy model populated by two-period-lived overlapping generations, we analyze long-term agglomeration economy and congestion diseconomy effects of young worker concentration on migration and the overall fertility rate. When the migration-stability condition is satisfied, the distribution of young workers between regions is obtainable in each period for a predetermined population size. Results show that migration stability does not guarantee dynamic stability of the economy. The stationary population size stability depends on the model parameters and the initial population size. On a stable trajectory converging to the stationary equilibrium, the overall fertility rate might change non-monotonically with the population size of the economy because of interregional migration. In each period, interregional migration mitigates regional population changes caused by fertility differences on the stable path. Results show that the inter-regional migration-stability condition does not guarantee stability of the population dynamics of the economy.

Impact of social innovation on population change in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén County

Technological and economic innovations cannot respond to all social challenges. Natural and material resources are becoming ever scarcer, so it is necessary to use investment assets, maximizing social and economic efficiency. It is a major task to address the backwardness originating from regional disparities and to create opportunities for catching up in peripheral regions. The study, based on the process-oriented model defined in our previous studies and the determination of the social innovation potential, tries to determine the relationship between social innovation potential, the spatial position of developmental image, and regional differences and population change in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén County.

Historical virus isolate collections: An invaluable resource connecting plant virology’s pre‐sequencing and post‐sequencing eras

AbstractMany laboratories maintain historical collections of preserved plant virus isolates that store a wealth of untapped data, including original type isolates, studied in the pre‐sequencing era. Currently, many recently recognized virus species exist with no supporting reference sequences. Also, many virus sequences appear new when compared to available sequences, but, on sequencing pre‐sequencing era isolates, they may coincide. Such linkages allow access to data from previously determined biological and other parameters from pre‐sequencing era studies. These linkages are increasingly being found using high‐throughput sequencing, helping clarify virus taxonomy and improving understanding of virus ecology and evolution. Thus, mistakes can be avoided in naming viruses and in combining or separating them, as well as enabling identification of unknown viruses preserved long ago. With well‐established viruses, success in dating and other evolutionary studies, and discovery of changes in regional virus populations, both depend upon comparisons between recent and old isolate sequences covering the greatest possible time periods. Such studies help reveal the extent that human activities have influenced virus evolution and changed virus populations on a global scale. Sequencing virus genomes from herbarium specimens, archaeological specimens, or living plant collections can provide complementary data. By bringing context to newly detected viruses and supporting plant pest risk analyses, linking new virus discoveries to previously generated disease symptom, host range, virus transmission, and geographical distribution data has important implications for plant health regulation. Also, historical isolates can provide an invaluable resource facilitating biosecurity investigations involving virus introductions, entry pathways, and baseline surveillance.

The Role of Internal Migration as a Driver of Regional Population Change in Europe

The Role of Internal Migration as a Driver of Regional Population Change in Europe

Population Change and International and Internal Migration in Italy, 2002-2017: Ravenstein Revisited

In 1885, Ravenstein formulated his “laws” of migration, based on the experience of the British Isles. In a further 1889 paper, he extended his analysis as a tour d’horizon of migration and population changes in other nations, including Italy. Even if social and economic processes including globalisation and rising mobility have changed the world since then, Ravenstein’s “laws” remain a point of reference today. Harnessing theoretical and methodological advances made since the 19th century, this paper describes and seeks to explain the role of international and internal migration in regional population change in Italy from 2002-2017. This paper provides the first geographically detailed migration analysis for the country’s 611 Local Labour Market Areas (LLMAs), using register-based migration and population data. Our contribution focuses on several of Ravenstein’s “laws” relating to gender (differences between men and women), natives and non-natives (differences between the Italian and the foreign population), distance migrated from origin to destination, and the role of the economy in shaping push and pull factors of migration. The results show that international migration is more prominent among men than women. In the case of internal moves, the rates of migration among men and women are similar, and internal migration is more prominent among the foreign than the native Italian population. Overall, international migration gains contribute substantially more to population change than internal migration gains and losses do. In Italy, the effects of persistent economic imbalances and of distance on migration patterns are not in line with Ravenstein’s hypotheses: not all areas with high unemployment show an effect of dispersion, nor does distance always act as a deterrent to migration. The geographically detailed analysis presented here illustrates the temporal and spatial coexistence of diverse international and internal migration processes depending on local characteristics, as well as the importance of the economic or administrative centres as the driving force behind national patterns. Our results show that, even 130 years after their formulation, Ravenstein’s migration “laws” (more accurately called “hypotheses” today) are still a valuable starting point in assessing and understanding migration processes and their role in regional population change.
 
 * This article belongs to a special issue on “Internal Migration as a Driver of Regional Population Change in Europe: Updating Ravenstein”.

The Process of Internal Migration in England and Wales, 1851-1911: Updating Ravenstein and the Step-Migration Hypothesis

Since their publication in 1885 and 1889 respectively, Ravenstein’s laws of migration – which have since been summarised as eleven broad rules – have achieved something approaching universal acceptance (Ravenstein 1885, 1889). While most of these laws have been tested and retested using data drawn from a range of countries and time periods – invariably reconfirming the status of his hypotheses as “laws” – one hypothesis has been resistant to attempts to confirm Ravenstein’s interpretation; the so-called step-migration hypothesis. Given the conflicting definitions of step-migration, this article first recounts the historiography of the term and the subsequent reason why this paper has defined step-migration as a means by which individuals migrated, rather than a population-level phenomenon in which out-migrants are continually replaced by in-migrants. Recent studies have invariably concluded that while step-migration may have been the predominant means by which migration occurred during periods of industrialisation in the past, it is no longer the process by which movement occurs in modern, post-industrial societies (Plane et al. 2005). This article therefore critically re-evaluates the evidence upon which Ravenstein based his laws. The census. Whereas Ravenstein used the published report of the 1881 census; the present study utilises the complete, individual-level manuscript census returns from 1851 to 1911. Through an analysis of approximately 160 million lifetime migration paths, this paper draws two important conclusions. First, that most people’s migratory activity tended to be concentrated in a single move – usually upon leaving home – rather than in a series of steps over their lifetimes. This means the census – recording only individuals’ birthplace and location on census night – captures most people’s full migration histories, amplifying its value as a source for studying migration in the past. By first identifying the age range in which migration occurred, this article argues that the similarity of the age profile of migrants to those leaving home suggests they were one-and-the-same process. By then constructing synthetic cohorts and analysing the distances migrated by the population in each census between the mean ages of key lifecycle events – leaving home, leaving service and entering marriage – it is demonstrated that very little migration occurred beyond the first move. This is reiterated in a cohort analysis which shows very little change in the destinations of migrants between censuses. In order to search for evidence of migration post-marriage, mothers’ migration paths are reconstructed from those of their co-resident children. This similarly demonstrates that only a minority of mothers migrated during their childbearing years with the majority of migration occurring prior to the birth of their first child. This article therefore shows that while 1851-1911 was not a period without migration, nor was it one of constant movement. Rather, England and Wales urbanised because the majority made a considered choice of destination once in their lives. This article therefore demonstrates that migration in steps was the exception rather than the rule and that the individual-level census returns are a valuable source of migration evidence between 1851 and 1911 and deserve far wider use.
 * This article belongs to a special issue on “Internal Migration as a Driver of Regional Population Change in Europe: Updating Ravenstein”.

Age-specific Migration in Regional Centres and Peripheral Areas of Russia

Ravenstein, writing in 19th century papers, observed that migration varied with the life course. However, he did not investigate this variation in detail, as the necessary data were not then available. Age-specific migration has been a focus for researchers of migration in the 20th and 21st centuries. Building on this research, the current paper explores age-specific migration in Russia focussing on its spatial diversity. We compare age-specific migration patterns found in Russia and those observed in other developed countries. For this investigation, we mainly use Russian administrative data on residence registration for 2012-2016, together with information on populations by age in the latest census in 2010. The data are analysed using a classification of local administrative units classified by degree of remoteness from Russia’s principal cities (regional centres).
 The main results are as follows: In Russia, young people participate strongly in migration flows between peripheral territories and regional centres. The net migration surplus in regional centres is mostly produced by the migration of 15-19 year-olds starting further and higher education courses. Peak migration occurs in this age group. This type of migration represents upward mobility in the spatial hierarchy because institutions of higher education are located in the large cities. People aged 20-29 and 30-39 migrate in much smaller numbers, but they also replenish the population of regional centres. The inflow of middle-aged migrants and families with children was directed to the areas located closest to the regional centres, the suburbs. This type of migration is observed in regions with a well-developed middle class with high purchasing power, for example, in the city of Moscow and in the Moscow Region.
 Peripheral territories have similar profiles of age-specific migration, but of loss rather than gain. The farther they are from regional centres, the more significant the outflow of young people and the stronger the impact of migration on population ageing. The rural periphery and small cities attract only elderly migrants, but this inflow is far smaller than the outflow of young people. The directions and age selectivity of migration observed in other countries are thus also found in Russia, although there are important differences associated with the nature of housing in Russian cities and regions.
 * This article belongs to a special issue on “Internal Migration as a Driver of Regional Population Change in Europe: Updating Ravenstein”.