Urbanization and Migration in Brazil

A bstract . Brazil's rural to urban migration has been dramatic. In 1940 only 15 percent of the country's population lived in urbanized areas. By 1970 more than 50 percent were so classified. This trend in population concentration continues. Studies of the causes and the consequences of population shifts in Brazil when based upon "choice models" of decision making are inconclusive. The current trend in urban migration reflects the impact of structural changes in Brazil's economy including industrialization, agricultural automation , and the accompanying modifications of programs and policies of Brazil's changing governmental elite. Governmental policies designed to stem the flow of population to the cities will require structural changes in the economy comparable to those which precipitated the migration.