Which term describes the phenomenon where rural residents migrate to urban areas?

Urbanization is the term that effectively describes the phenomenon where rural residents migrate to urban areas. It encompasses the process by which an increasing percentage of a population comes to live in urban environments. This trend often results from various factors, including the pursuit of better employment opportunities, access to amenities such as healthcare and education, and improved living conditions that cities typically offer compared to rural areas.

As population densities increase in urban regions due to this migration, it can lead to significant transformations in cultural, economic, and social structures, shaping the demographics of cities. Urbanization also reflects broader trends in societal development, technological advancements, and economic growth.

Other terms can describe related concepts but do not specifically capture the migration phenomenon itself. For example, suburban expansion refers to the growth of areas on the outskirts of cities rather than the movement from rural to urban settings. Urban sprawl pertains to the spread of urban developments into rural or undeveloped land, which is a consequence of urbanization but not a direct descriptor of the migration process. Rural decline focuses more on the challenges and deterioration of rural areas, often as a result of the population leaving these regions, rather than the migration itself.