No place for young women? The impact of internal migration on adult sex ratios in rural East Germany

Shortages of women in rural areas occur in many highly urbanized countries. Rural East Germany is an ideal case for studying this phenomenon because of its low adult sex ratio (ASR)-men greatly outnumber women-coupled with high outmigration among young adults. This study identifies how internal migration between rural and urban areas contributes to the shortage of young adult women. We use data on inter-county migration flows (for years 2002-21) to decompose the impacts of migration flows on ASRs. We find that the low ASRs in rural East Germany have been driven by sex-selective migration. In the early 2000s the main destination of sex-selective outflows was West Germany, while in the 2010s urban areas in East Germany were the key destinations. We find that moves among 18-24-year-olds increased the shortage of women in the rural population, whereas moves among 25-29-year-olds contributed to more balanced ASRs.