Volume, characteristics and consequences of internal migration in Colombia

More than one-third of the Colombian population can be classified as migrants. The prevailing direction of movements is urbanwards, yet it is significant that better than a third of all movements are to rural destinations. Nationwide comparisons of migrants and residents on demographic characteristics would indicate that all streams are selective of the younger and unmarried population, with women predominating in urbanwards movements and men in those to rural areas. However, when compared in terms of socioeconomic characteristics, migrants are more sharply differentiated among themselves than they are from the resident population at each of their respective destinations. Within the migrant population, a natural funneling of the more able migrants to the largest centers suggests itself. Migrants have consistently higher activity rates than the remainder of the population and, in the case of men at least, appear capable of competing for jobs on an equal basis with residents at their respective destinations. Female migrants, however, are consistently overrepresented in lower-status activities, particularly in domestic services.