Spatial Analysis of the Effect of Internal Migration on Changing the Population Age Structure in Counties of Iran

At present, internal migration, as an important driver of population change has contributed as a replacement of fertility and death in many countries, and is considered as the main trend in the patterns of human settlement within and between countries. In addition to internal migration, due to the selective process of migration, it leads to redistribution of different age groups in the country and create changes in the age structure of the population in both the origin and destination of migration. In this regard, this article examines the effect of internal migration on changing the population age structure of the counties in Iran using secondary analysis of the 2011 and 2016 census data. The results indicated the greatest change happens in the age composition of 15-29 years. The results of the bivariate Moran's test showed that there is a spatial correlation between the levels of development and age structure changes due to migration. In fact, migration leads to a rise in the share of the young population in more developed counties, and a reduction of young population in the less developed counties. As a result, internal migration can lead to increased regional inequalities by changing the composition of the young population, which is an essential factor of development.