Migration is the movement of people from one place to another. It can be over a short or long distance, be short term or permanent, voluntary or forced.

The problems of an area that encourage people to leave are known as push factors. Examples include

• Natural disasters
• Lack of employment
• Low pay, and poor standard of living
• Poor housing
• Lack of educational opportunities
• Shortage of medical facilities and services
• War and/or persecution

The attractions of a area that migrants move to are called pull factors. They include

• Better employment opportunities
• Better education chances, including higher education
• Better medical care
• Higher wages, and improved standard of living
• The bright lights, that is entertainments like pubs and clubs

Some advantages of migration are

• The area people migrate from has less overcrowding
• The gaining area gets workers
• Migrants may sent back some money to their families

Some disadvantages of migration are

• The area people migrate from loses some of its most go ahead, active people
• The gaining area has to find housing and provide services for the migrants
• The reality for the migrant does not match up with the expectation - many migrants have to live in slum housing, and work in low status, low paid jobs

As many people leave the countryside to live in the cities, they have grown particularly quickly. This process is known as urbanisation. The graph shows the trend in Mexico, and it is typical of a developed country