Resisting the move? Anchors of rural staying among youth and young adults in the Western Balkans

Across the world, many young people are leaving rural areas in search of better opportunities, yet others resist the move and choose to stay. Understanding why some remain despite strong incentives to leave has become a central question in contemporary migration and rural studies. This study examines intentions of young people to stay in rural areas in the Western Balkans, with particular attention to psychological and emotional anchors, especially inertia and place attachment. Using survey data from 1848 individuals aged 15–40 across Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia, we combine hierarchical cluster analysis with age-stratified OLS regression. The cluster analysis identifies four anchoring profiles that range from symbolically attached younger respondents to occupationally anchored young adults and deeply rooted adults characterised by family, work, property, routine, and belonging. Inertia is the strongest and most consistent correlate of staying intentions across all age groups. Place attachment matters especially among younger age groups, appearing as symbolic attachment in the cluster analysis and as a meaningful predictor among respondents in their early twenties. Sunk costs and livelihood anchors, particularly paid work and property-related commitments, are more prominent among older respondents. Gender alone is not consistently associated with staying intentions, although its association varies across national contexts in some models. The findings demonstrate that rural staying is best understood through multidimensional patterns of anchoring. The paper highlights how attachment, routine, work, property, family formation, and personal dispositions combine differently across age groups to shape intentions to remain.