Internal and international migration effects on age structure of rural population: a case study on Emirdag county

The current situation of demographic transition model, in relation to fluctuation of rate of fertility and of mortality, has effects on age structure of population as well as increase of population. At present there is a rapid population ageing issue in the countries which are at the final stage of model. Depending on the experienced phases of the model, some changes began to occur at the population pyramid of Turkey as well. Another factor which is effective on age structure of population is migrations. The high rate of out migration among young population affects age structure of population in various ways in the fields, on which in and out migration are heavy. It can be truly said that a decrease of young population and therefore an increase of old population rate took place in out-migration areas. These changes which took place particularly in rural outmigration areas cause more rapidly than rate of elderly population in relation to rural population. This inquiry, which is limited with the exemplary study on Emirdag county, is in order to determine the effects of both internal and international out migration on the age structure of population. To this purpose an analysis on the relationships between the internal and international migration and the changes of age structure of rural population afterwards the course of migration, has been made. The age structure of residual population also has been changed as a result of 50 percent population decrease at the rural area of the county. Eventually the internal and international out migration from rural area of the county had caused the rate of elderly population to get ascend the average (increase in median age) in Turkey generally and in Afyonkarahisar particularly. Along with a decrease on the population between age 0 to 14, an increase of old age population (definitely 65+) has been observed. These changes on the age structure of population ocurred in the areas, in which migration has been taken place most effectively. The inclination to ageing because of the high rate of out migration in the rural area of the county has these strong and deep effects on the cultural, social and economical structures of the rural area in different aspects. It is crucially important to take consider these changes when any kind of reorganisation for the rural area of the county is in question.