Rural to Urban Migration — Band 7 Model Answer

Rural-to-urban migration is one of the defining demographic processes of the twenty-first centuryExaminer noteContextual framing sentence — establishes the significance of the topic for Task Achievement at Band 7., reshaping societies from sub-Saharan Africa to Southeast Asia. This essay examines the forces driving this movement, its consequences, and potential policy responses.

The primary cause is economic disparity between rural and urban areasExaminer notePrecise compound noun — "economic disparity" is more specific than "differences". Band 7 LR. . Cities offer higher wages, more diverse employment opportunities and better access to education and healthcare than rural regions, creating powerful pull factors that attract working-age populationsExaminer noteDomain-specific vocabulary from migration studies — "pull factors" is precise and appropriate. Band 7 LR. . In some regions, environmental degradation and agricultural failure act as push factorsExaminer noteParallel vocabulary — "push factors" completing the migration theory framework. , forcing families to abandon rural livelihoods.

The effects are twofold. Cities experience overcrowding, insufficient housing and strained public servicesExaminer noteThree-item list of urban problems — demonstrates breadth for Task Achievement. as they absorb new arrivals faster than infrastructure can be built. Rural communities, meanwhile, suffer from demographic decline as younger generations depart, weakening local economies and social cohesion.

Addressing this requires investment in rural infrastructure and economic diversificationExaminer notePrecise policy language — Band 7 LR. to make rural life more competitive. Decentralisation policies that distribute government services, universities and business opportunities away from capital cities can also rebalance the incentive structureExaminer notePrecise economic framing — Band 7 LR. that drives migration.