I live in Germany and our population has been kept approximately stable in the last decades via immigration, and we also have many people moving to the cities. Especially in Eastern Germany, as was mentioned in this post. Many of the phenomena mentioned in this post are familiar to me from news and anecdotes. I would be curious if there is data on if the depopulation of rural areas is mainly driven by fewer people being born or by more people moving away, and if there are differences between countries. My guess would be that people moving away is the bigger factor in many places.
Potsdam High School used to graduate 150 students each June about 30 years ago, now it is down to 75-90 each year. Potsdam is a town of about 10,000 people with two colleges in NY. The real decline is in the even smaller rural schools outside of the population centers. Those schools are often getting down to 10-20 students in a graduating class, and the wider issue is those students come from a large geographic area.
Side note: I believe some of the demographic collapse at the younger end is being masked by the increase in Amish population. Two Amish families can produce as many kids as in an elementary school classroom.
I live in Germany and our population has been kept approximately stable in the last decades via immigration, and we also have many people moving to the cities. Especially in Eastern Germany, as was mentioned in this post. Many of the phenomena mentioned in this post are familiar to me from news and anecdotes. I would be curious if there is data on if the depopulation of rural areas is mainly driven by fewer people being born or by more people moving away, and if there are differences between countries. My guess would be that people moving away is the bigger factor in many places.
Potsdam High School used to graduate 150 students each June about 30 years ago, now it is down to 75-90 each year. Potsdam is a town of about 10,000 people with two colleges in NY. The real decline is in the even smaller rural schools outside of the population centers. Those schools are often getting down to 10-20 students in a graduating class, and the wider issue is those students come from a large geographic area.
Side note: I believe some of the demographic collapse at the younger end is being masked by the increase in Amish population. Two Amish families can produce as many kids as in an elementary school classroom.
Generally, TFR collapses first in the cities, then in the countryside. Yet countryside depopulates quicker than the cities. Draw your own conclusions.