Landholding, Rural Fertility and Internal Migration in Developing Countries: Econometric Evidence from Cross-National Data

We develop an empirical model of the interaction of rural fertility and ruralurban migration which incorporates the effects of landholding patterns. Crosssection data for 26 developing countries are used to test the model. The statistical results support the hypothesis of a positive relationship between fertility and outmigration in the rural sector and lend credence to some of the propositions regarding the impact of landholding patterns. A reduced form of the model is derived from the statistical results, and its policy implications are considered.