Determinants of Internal Migration in Rwanda : A cross-sectional analysis of factors associated with migration in Rwanda : An economic perspective

By Habinshuti Vital and Dushimimana Jean de Dieu

This study investigates the determinants of recent migration in Rwanda. The study used internal and international migration data to find out the factors associated with recent migration in Rwanda. By using Rwanda labour force survey (RLFS, 2018), we considered the participants who migrated from one district to another and those who migrated internationally with 16 years old and above. First, we employed a binary outcome probit model to find out the factors associated with migration decision. Secondarily we introduced a multinomial logit model to find out the factors associated with migration destination choice. For both these models, we estimated the model coefficients by marginal effects. The study revealed that gender, education, employment in industry and services, living together and being divorced or separated are significant and positively associated with migration decision and migration destination choice. However, residing in rural and household size are significant and negatively associated with recent migration decision and destination choice. The study recommended that the government should accelerate the process of reinforcing secondary cities in order to curb the disparity of opportunities between regions.

Keywords : Recent migration, internal and international migration and Rwanda.

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