Moving away from home communities has become an increasingly common life experience for many children, adolescents and young people transitioning to adulthood in Ethiopia, to a much greater extent than among their parents’ generation. Much of the literature on migration focuses on the labour migration of young people and on international migration.

This working paper explores the variety of experiences of children, adolescents and youth leaving their home communities, for social as well as economic reasons. It is based on data from the Young Lives fifth qualitative wave carried out in ten sites across five regions in 2019, as well as earlier Young Lives research. The paper considers patterns and experiences of movement and migration and the aspirations of children and young people leaving their communities for reasons relating to family, marriage, education and work. 

This working paper and the accompanying policy brief are part of a set of eight working papers and eight policy briefs on gendered transitions into young adulthood in Ethiopia.