Where do families go? Migration composition and destination choice from the perspective of village residents in western China

Rural-urban migration in China has been destination-based and predominantly focused on individual migrants found in cities located in eastern and coastal regions. We know relatively little about the emerging migration patterns in the inland regions under the recent urban and rural integration policies. Using Shaanxi Province as a case study and household survey data, we examine family demographic, socio-economic characteristics and village attributes as migration drivers. Findings reveal that, despite the implementation of policies, migration continues to serve as a primary family livelihood strategy in rural areas. Destination choices exhibit a dual pattern: while out-of-county migration remains dominant, partial family relocation to local county seat towns has emerged as a significant trend. Village attributes play a critical role in shaping destination choices and migration composition. Importantly, this analysis from the sending area perspective uncovered complex migration modalities – including partial (selective member), nuclear (spouse-children), and whole-family migration – often involving multi-destination arrangements. This study brought out fresh insights into how localised development policies are reshaping migration patterns and underscores the need for origin-sensitive migration study frameworks in interior China.