Indigenous Urbanization in Bolivia: A Logit Analysis of Between-Group Differences in Migration Drivers

Abstract: Bolivia's urbanization rates have accelerated through the latter half of the 20th century, with over 70 percent of the country's population living in urban centers today. Despite having the highest share of indigenous people in Latin America, Bolivia's indigenous population is often wrongfully excluded from popular discourse on the rural-urban migration trend. However, more than half of the country's indigenous citizens reside in urban areas. This thesis conducts a logistics regression to understand the drivers of indigenous rural-urban migration in Bolivia and how they relate to the country's non-indigenous migrants. Using a dataset of 35.754 observations from Bolivia's 2019 household survey, the odds of migration are estimated based on individual- and household-level demographic and economic characteristics. The findings suggest that being indigenous is a significant determinant of rural-urban migration, doubling the odds that an individual migrates. Moreover, contrary to non-indigenous rural-urban migration, indigenous migration is mainly driven by economic factors (personal and household incomes) rather than demographic factors (age, education, or gender). Overall, the findings of this research challenge the common perception of indigenous people as living in traditional, isolated, rural communities and placing a lower value on economic incentives while highlighting the need to incorporate indigenous perspectives in national migration policies. Adding to the findings of this thesis, future research exploring the underlying economic factors influencing indigenous migration may contribute to a better understanding of the core needs and desires of indigenous communities in search of urban spaces.