Change in the rural population of Eastern Europe 1950-1973, by country

Due to the industrialization that swept across the Eastern Bloc in the post-war decades, urbanization increased significantly, and millions flocked from the countryside to cities searching for work. Of the five given countries, Bulgaria saw the most considerable shift in population distribution, with the difference in population distribution in these years being equal to half of the total population. Romania experienced the smallest change, although the shift in population distribution was still equal to more than one-fifth of the total population. When looking at these figures, it is important to remember that young people migrated to cities in higher numbers than older generations. Therefore, birth rates were much higher, and death rates were much lower in urban areas.