How Does Air Pollution Impact Residence Intention of Rural Migrants? Empirical Evidence from the CMDS

Based on data from the China Migrant Dynamic Survey project and urban statistics, this article examines the impact of air pollution on the residence intentions of rural migrants. The research findings indicate that: (1) Air pollution reduces the residence intentions of rural migrants. On average, for every one-unit increase in AQI, the residence intention of rural migrants will reduce by 1.5l%. (2) Mechanism analysis shows that social networks and social integration have a negative moderating effect on the relationship between air pollution and the residence intention of rural migrants. (3) Heterogeneity analysis shows that in cities north of the Qinling Mountains-Huaihe River, cities with low precipitation, and cities with weak environmental regulations, the negative impact of air pollution on residence intention of rural migrants is more significant. Compared with high human capital levels, inter-provincial flow, and the new generation of rural migrants, the residence intention of low human capital levels, intra-provincial flow, and the old generation of rural migrants makes them more vulnerable to the negative impact of air pollution. This article reveals the inherent relationship between air pollution and the residence intention of rural migrants, which has certain practical enlightenment for cities to accelerate the process of citizenization of rural migrants through air pollution control and also provides important empirical evidence for cities to sustainably address air pollution.