💼 Economic
People move for work. Push: few jobs at home. Pull: higher pay abroad. Modern transport and the internet make it easier to find jobs and travel to them. Many workers send part of their pay home to family.
A Connected World » Why People Migrate
What you'll learn this session
Study time: 30 minutes
Edexcel spec: 8.1 A connected world (c)
- What migration is and the main types: economic, medical, sport and tourism
- Social, economic and political push and pull factors
- Why rates of each type of migration have changed over the last 50 years
- How to use maps to spot patterns of migration
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Unlock This CourseWhy do people move?
Globalisation means more movement of goods, and also more movement of people. Every day, people leave one place and settle or stay for a while in another. This lesson looks at why they go, and why the numbers have changed over the last 50 years.
Key terms:
- Migration: the movement of people from one place to another to live or stay for a period of time.
- Push factor: something bad about a place that makes people want to leave it.
- Pull factor: something good about a place that attracts people to it.
- Economic migration: moving to find work or to earn more money.
- Medical migration: travelling to another country to get health treatment, or moving abroad to work in health care.
- Sport migration: athletes, coaches and players moving to another country to play or train.
- Tourism: travelling to a place for leisure and staying for a short time before returning home.
Push and pull factors
People rarely move for just one reason. Usually a push from the place they leave and a pull from the place they choose work together. The spec groups these factors into three kinds.
👫 Social
Push: poor schools or health care, or being far from family. Pull: better education, better hospitals, or joining relatives who have already moved.
💰 Economic
Push: few jobs, low wages, poverty. Pull: plenty of jobs, higher wages, a chance to send money home.
🏛 Political
Push: war, persecution (being treated cruelly because of who you are or what you believe), unfair or unstable government. Pull: safety, peace and a government that protects people's rights.
Different types of migration
🏥 Medical
Some patients travel abroad because treatment is cheaper, or has a shorter waiting time, or is not available at home. Many doctors and nurses also move to countries with more health jobs and higher pay. Push: low pay and poor equipment at home. Pull: good pay and well-equipped hospitals.
⚽ Sport
Top footballers, cricketers and athletes move to clubs and leagues abroad. Pull: high wages, famous teams and top coaching. Push: few chances to play at the highest level at home. Television and the internet let clubs spot talent across the world.
🏖 Tourism
Tourists are short-stay visitors who go home again. Pull: warm weather, beaches, culture and history. Push: stress, bad weather or a wish for a break from daily life. Cheaper flights and rising incomes mean far more people can afford to go.
Why have rates changed over 50 years?
All of these types of movement have grown. The reasons link back to globalisation.
- Transport: air travel is faster and cheaper than it was 50 years ago, so people can move far more easily.
- Information: phones and the internet let people see jobs, hospitals, clubs and holidays abroad, and keep in touch with family who move.
- Economic gaps: as the global economy has grown, jobs have gathered in some places, so economic pull has grown stronger. Trade and TNCs create jobs in some countries while other places fall behind.
- Political change: wars and conflicts have forced some people to leave. When conflict breaks out, the number of people forced to leave can rise very quickly.
- Wealth: more people can afford to travel as tourists, to pay for treatment abroad, or to join family overseas.
Worked example
A nurse in a country with low health-care pay sees a hospital job abroad on the internet. Push: low pay (economic) and poor equipment (social). Pull: higher pay (economic) and better facilities (social). A cheap flight makes the move possible. This is economic and medical migration together.
Skill: using maps to find migration patterns
Exams often show a map with arrows that join places. Each arrow shows the direction of movement, and thicker arrows show more people. Follow these steps:
- Read the title and key so you know what type of migration is shown.
- Find where the thick arrows start and end.
- Say the pattern, for example "most arrows go from poorer regions to richer regions".
- Use a place name from the map as evidence.
- Link the pattern to a push or pull factor.
Online maps work the same way. Zoom out to see the whole pattern, then zoom in to check details.
Common mistakes
Common mistakes
- Mixing up push and pull. Push is about the place people leave. Pull is about the place they go to.
- Giving only one factor. Good answers use a push and a pull.
- Forgetting that tourists return home. Tourism is short-stay movement, not a permanent move.
- Writing about the impacts of migration. That belongs to the Impacts of Migration lesson.
- Reading a map without using evidence. Always name a place or direction from the map.
Exam-style question
(a) Give one economic push factor that makes people leave their home country. [1 mark]
(b) Explain why the number of people travelling abroad for sport or medical reasons has grown over the last 50 years. [3 marks]
Model answer
(a) There are few jobs, or wages are low, in their home country (1).
(b) Air travel is cheaper and faster, so it is easier to move abroad (1). The internet and television let clubs and hospitals advertise and let people see jobs and treatment abroad (1). Higher wages and better facilities abroad pull people more strongly than before (1).
Exam tip
For "explain why" migration questions, give a push or pull factor, then link it to a change over time such as cheaper transport or the internet.