Life on the Move: A Mixed-Method Study on Internal Migration and Divorce in China

Given the extensive duration and heightened uncertainties in lifestyles, migration may profoundly shape individuals’ life-course trajectories through its influence on one’s family life. Using a mixed-method approach, this study examines how migration influences divorce in China based on data from the 2012 China Family Panel Studies and 127 in-depth interviews conducted in 2015. Results show that migrant men are more likely to experience divorce than their non-migrant counterparts. The patterns are less salient for women and rural migrants, possibly attributed to the greater stigma associated with divorce among these groups than among their male and urban counterparts. Qualitative interviews reveal the underlying mechanisms. Specifically, more liberal attitudes and weaker social controls in the receiving communities than in their places of origin, limited time spent with their partners, and unstable lifestyles result in more divorces for migrants. To address potential selection bias, I estimate the treatment effects of migration based on propensity-score matching, and the results are consistent with the above findings.