The aim of Taiwan's Rural Rejuvenation Program is to reduce rural depopulation by increasing rural net migration rates. However, the effects of rural development programs on rural migration patterns are ambiguous and lack quantitative research. This paper examines the causal effect of the rural development program in Taiwan on rural migration. On the basis of multi-period difference-in-difference models, empirical results indicate that Taiwan's rural development program increased both rural

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... gration and emigration, but only between a group of villages that are near each other. Moreover, only rural villages located in suburban areas saw positive effects on rural in-migration. I identify two potential mediators responsible for the main effects, viz agritourism and off-farm income. Based on these findings, it implies that the Taiwanese government needs to redesign its rural development program to attract residents living in urban, rather than nearby rural, areas.