Understanding Rural Stayers: The Influence of Definitions and Methods

Abstract

In recent years, academic interest in individuals who have opted to stay in rural areas has increased, following a period of considerable focus on geographic mobility and internal migration. The shift from focusing primarily on ‘migrants’ and ‘leavers’ to those who stay has informed a more nuanced understanding of the factors influencing their decisions to stay and the reasons behind their choices. This article aims to illustrate how our understanding of ‘rural stayers’ is shaped by the methodological choices we make in defining and measuring the concept. Specifically, using survey data and population registers from Norway, the article empirically demonstrates how employing different operational definitions affects not only the estimated number of rural stayers but also their demographic and socioeconomic profiles, as well as subsequent stayer outcomes. Furthermore, the analyses show that survey data tend to underestimate the number of stayers due to nonresponse bias, whereas population registers tend to overestimate stayers by failing to account for temporary movements related to education. In discussing these issues, the article highlights the critical role that operational definitions and methods play in shaping our understanding of the phenomenon of rural staying.