Internal Migration after Communism: Spatial Population Dynamics in the Czech Republic, 1989-2007

Jana Vobecka, Vienna Institute of Demography
Virginie Piguet, INRA UMR 1041 CESAER

The aim of the paper is to determine the dynamics of the post-communist spatial population structure after 1989 revolutions. The analysis focuses on internal migration as the main driver of spatial population dynamics. We use unique, previously unexplored, full-sample register data on Czech internal migration flows and data on socio-economic characteristics of Czech municipalities. We find that suburbanisation has only recently become the main factor influencing spatial distribution of the Czech population. Results of the gravity regression models show that higher educated people are more likely to move to suburban areas than those with lower education. The effect of age on destination choices is surprisingly low. However, internal migration flow intensities are smaller than in Western Europe and other developed countries. This may go in some way in explaining why the recent internal migration patterns have had only a small influence on population structures across urban, suburban and rural areas.