Why the Elderly Move

A great deal of the recent work dealing with aspects of the migration behavior of older persons has considered only the situation for the case of a specific nation. One of the relatively unexplored aspects of elderly migration behavior is the extent to which cross-national similarities and differences may exist. This article is a first step in that direction by considering the cross-national pattern of differences and similarities in the factors that are held to be responsible for migration. An examination of data for nine countries (the United States, Australia, Belgium, Canada, West Germany, Hungary, Japan, the Netherlands, and Poland) suggests considerable similarities both in terms of individual characteristics and desires that lead to migration among the elderly (such as retirement and widowhood) and characteristics of places that serve either to repel or attract older persons (such as climate and amenities).