Consequences of rural urban migration
- Open-Urban unemployment. In most cases those who go to towns in search for jobs fail to get them. They end up on streets still looking for jobs.
- Increase in urban dependants. Those who fail to get jobs end up being dependent on few working relatives hence increased dependence
- Development of slums and the related social evils for example prostitution, easy spread of diseases, high crime rates
- Shortage of social amenities (facilities) in urban areas. For example shortage of health services, educational services, transport facilities, poor housing etc. due to overcrowding in urban areas.
- Increase in the cost of living in urban areas. This is due to increased demand for goods and services as compared to the limited supply. This leads to inflation.
- Low agricultural output as the energetic youth migrate to the urban areas leaving the young and the old in rural areas.
- Reduced government tax base. This is due to a high number of people who are unemployed in urban areas.
- Balance of payment problems are likely to result due to a reduction in food production in rural areas. This forces the government to import food products.
- Labour exploitation in form of under employment as employers enjoy cheap labour from rural areas
- Increased government expenditure on provision of social services. Rural urban migration increases government expenditure as government has to increase the provision of socio-economic sustaining requirements for the fast growing urban population.
CATEGORIES Economics
TAGS Dr. Bbosa Science
