Urban Migration in East and West Africa: Contrasts and Transformations

Rural-urban migration and urbanization are interlinked key demographic features of Africa’s long 20th century. This chapter highlights five major transitions in East and West African rural-urban migration patterns in 1950–2020. First, by the mid-20th century, the main direction of African migration patterns shifted from rural-rural to rural-urban, leading to unprecedented urban growth rates. Second, this exceptional urban growth, primarily driven by rural-urban migration, has increasingly shifted toward urban centers growing out their own natural increase. Third, while colonial capital or port cities attracted most migrants, the expansion of the number of medium-sized cities suggests that urban migration has become increasingly diversified. Fourth, although young men dominated rural-urban migration, in particular in East Africa, urban sex ratios gradually equalized, indicating a shift from circular male migration strategies toward female urban migration and the permanent settlement of families. Fifth, urban growth appeared barely affected by rising urban poverty, slum formation, and overall economic performance. Comparatively, West Africa’s urban advantage over East Africa seems to be a difference of initial conditions. Pre-colonial West Africa was already more urbanized than East Africa and consequently maintained larger cities, saw an earlier equalization of urban sex ratios and stabilization of the urban population, and thus experienced earlier and more natural growth of its urban population.