Why does internal migration usually not change a country’s total population?

Correct answer: Because people move within the country

The direct answer is option A. Internal migration means that people move from one place to another within the same country, such as from a village to a city or from one state to another. Step by step, the place of residence changes, so the population of the source area decreases and the population of the destination area increases. However, when both areas are added together, the same people are still inside the country. Hence the national total normally remains unchanged. Option B is wrong because migration is movement, not birth. Option C is wrong because internal migration does not make deaths disappear. Option D is wrong because crossing an international border describes international migration, not internal migration. Internal migration changes distribution and density between places, although births, deaths or later international movement may separately change the national total. Memory cue: internal movement redistributes people; international movement can change a country’s total.