The Who, Where, When and Why of Australia's Baby Boomers as internal migrants

Abstract

This study investigates the demographics, motivations, and internal migration patterns of urban-dwelling baby boomers in Australia. The study has two phases: Study 1) analysis of secondary quantitative survey data to establish a baseline of the level of interest in internal migration among baby boomers living in capital cities; Study 2) a follow-up survey to determine whether these individuals did relocate, retain an interest in relocating, or have decided to stay in place. Central to the study is addressing the questions of who among baby boomers migrate, and also when, where and why they relocate, and what are the individual, social, and structural factors influencing their decision-making particularly in the context of natural disasters (e.g., bushfires) and the Covid-19 pandemic.

Using the Aspiration/Desire/Drivers (ADD) framework, the results reveal: 1) Migrants desire a better lifestyle, quality of life and to live in a place with a strong sense of community and, for some, in a destination closer to family/friends; 2) social pressures to remain in place are much lower for Migrants than Non-migrants; 3) Migrants have higher scores on the self-efficacy scale indicating an increased ability to exercise agency and control in decision-making; 4) retirement is a driver for relocation; 5) the most common destinations are coastal areas, many with existing retirement populations. Structural factors such as the perceived lower cost of living and housing in rural areas are major motivators. but pathways are also influenced by age, gender, relationship status, accumulated wealth and, for some, employment opportunities. A significant driver was the Covid-19 pandemic, while bushfires had a lesser impact.