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Air Pollution and Settlement Intention: Evidence from the China Migrants Dynamic Survey

Author

Listed:
  • Xiao Yu

    (Northeast Asian Research Center, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, China)

  • Jianing Liang

    (Northeast Asian Studies College, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, China)

  • Yanzhe Zhang

    (Northeast Asian Research Center, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, China)

Abstract

This study analyses the effect of air pollution on the settlement intention of migrants in China. In recent years, the willingness of residents to migrate induced by air pollution has received a lot of attention from academics. By matching information from the China Migrants Dynamic Survey from 2015 to 2017 with the air quality index (AQI), we used the Probit model to assess the impact of air pollution on the settlement intentions of migrants with different socioeconomic statuses. First, we demonstrated that air pollution has a significant negative effect on migrants’ settlement intention. Second, we found that the effect of air pollution on settlement intention is influenced by individual socioeconomic status; that education level, as an indicator of cognitive ability, affects migrants’ motivation to migrate; and that personal income, as an indicator of economic ability, affects the feasibility of their migration. Motivation to migrate and the feasibility of moving determine together the divergence in settlement intention, and those with higher incomes and higher education levels are more likely to leave cities with serious air pollution. Third, the heterogeneous effects suggested that the negative effect of air pollution was greater for older, male, and married migrants. Our findings suggested that air pollution has a variety of effects on the heterogeneous migrants, resulting in changes in the demographic structure of cities.

Suggested Citation

  • Xiao Yu & Jianing Liang & Yanzhe Zhang, 2022. "Air Pollution and Settlement Intention: Evidence from the China Migrants Dynamic Survey," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(8), pages 1-16, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:8:p:4924-:d:796505
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    Cited by:

    1. Yuzheng Zhang & Shirui He, 2023. "Local Government’s Land Finance Dependence and Migrants’ Settlement Intentions: Evidence from China," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(7), pages 1-16, July.
    2. Xuna Zhang & Shijing Nan & Shanbing Lu & Minna Wang, 2022. "Spatial Effects of Air Pollution on the Siting of Enterprises: Evidence from China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(21), pages 1-18, November.
    3. Xueqiong Zhou & Wenhao Feng, 2023. "Investigating the Impact of Demographic and Personal Variables on Post-Retirement Migration Intention of Rural Residents: Evidence from Inner Mongolia, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(19), pages 1-17, September.
    4. Xinxian Wang & Jun He & Tim Futing Liao & Gaoxiang Gu, 2023. "Does Air Pollution Influence the Settlement Intention of the Floating Population in China? Individual Heterogeneity and City Characteristics," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(4), pages 1-17, February.
    5. Onur Celik & Emrah Eray Akca, 2024. "Investigating the Validity of Climate Migration: Empirical Evidence from the Most Polluted Countries," World Journal of Applied Economics, WERI-World Economic Research Institute, vol. 10(1), pages 29-41, June.

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