Population census as a vehicle to the collection of migration statistics – country practices

1. Population census as a vehicle to the collection of migration statistics – country practices Haoyi Chen United Nations Statistics Division

2. Sources of international migration statistics United Nations recommendations on the collection of migration statistics Country practices using the 2000 and 2010 round of population censuses Conclusion Presentation plan

3. Sources of international and internal migration information • Population censuses • Sample surveys • Administrative sources – border collection, population registers, registration for foreigners etc.

4. Why census matter? • An important part of an integrated national statistical system. • Collects demographic, socio-economic info. of every individual in a defined territory, at the well-defined point in time. • Population censuses are the most widely available source for collecting data on the immigrant stock and its characteristics.

5. United Nations Recommendations • Principles and Recommendations for Population and Housing Censuses, Revision 2

6. Recommended topics to be included in census questionnaires • International migration characteristics • Country of birth • Citizenship • Year or period of arrival

7. Recommended topics • Geographical and internal migration characteristics: • Place of birth • Duration of residence • Place of previous residence • Place of residence at a specified date in the past • Place of usual residence • Place where present at time of census* • Total population* • Locality* • Urban and rural* * derived topics, might not be identified from a questionnaire

8. Analysis based on: • Questionnaires from 179 countries in 2000 round (out of 203 countries that have conducted census) • Questionnaires from 66 countries in 2010 round (out of 78 countries that have conducted census)

9. Country of birth

10. Place of birth

11. Country/place of birth - examples • Where was ___ born? • State locality if born in Botswana otherwise state country • Was ___ born in South Africa? • If no, in what country was the person born? • Place of residence of the parents at birth of the member of household • Did you come to Anguilla before you were one year old? (!!!)

12. Citizenship

13. Citizenship – examples (1) • What is the country of ___'s citizenship? • What is ___'s nationality? • Ethnie ou nationalité. Inscrivez l'ethnie pour les Gabonais, la nationalité pour les étrangers et mettez autre Gabonais pour les personnes naturlisées • Is (the person) a citizen of ___?

14. Citizenship – examples (2) • Dual citizenship: • (If dual citizenship or citizenship of another country) What is the name of the country? • Do you have another nationality besides Swiss nationality? • No • Yes, of which country?

15. Citizenship – examples (3) • Citizenship acquisition: • Is this person a CITIZEN of the United States? - Yes, born in Puerto Rico → Skip to 15a - Yes, born in a U.S. state, District of Columbia, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, or Northern Mariana Islands - Yes, born abroad of American parent or parents - Yes, a U.S. citizen by naturalization - No, not a citizen of the United States

16. Citizenship – examples (4) • What is your nationality? • 1. You were born French. • 2. You later became French through naturalization, declaration, with your majority or by demonstration of will, etc.… • Indicate your nationality at birth: _____ • 3. Foreigner • Indicate your nationality: _____

17. Year or period of arrival

18. Year or period of arrival - examples • Last arrival: • In what year did you last come to the Bahamas to live? • First arrival: • Year of first arrival in Malaysia (for those born outside Malaysia) • Open or unspecified: • How many years have you lived in Argentina? • If you were born outside of French Polynesia, in what year did you come to the country? • In what year did you become a resident of Brazil?

19. Duration of residence

20. Duration of residence - examples • How many years have you lived in this district? • Duration of residence. (If the place of residence has changed) • In which year did you move to this island? • For how long have you been lived without interruption in this commune? • Year of last migration • Year of settling at the legal residence

21. Place of previous residence

22. Place of previous residence - examples • What is your place of previous residence? • Place of residence prior to current residence • What is the federal unit or foreign country of previous residence? • Was the previous (last) place or your residence in Poland or abroad?

23. Place of residence at a specified date in the past

24. Place of residence at a specified date in the past - examples • Where did ... live in August 1995? • Where did this person live 1 year ago, that is, on May 14, 1995? • Commonly used duration: • 1-yr • 5-yr • 10-yr • A date that most people are likely to remember (such as last election year, the year hurricane hit the country etc)

25. Other topics covered by countries but outside of the UN recommendations (Rev. 2) - 1 • Emigration of household members (also asked are characteristics about the emigrants) • 44 countries • Often asked are age, sex, duration abroad, country where resided, reason for moving abroad, occupation, education attainment etc.

26. Other topics covered by countries but outside of the UN recommendations (Rev. 2) - 2 • Ever-lived abroad(returning citizens) • 23 countries • Duration abroad, reason for returning, year of return and previous country of residence

27. Other topics covered by countries but outside of the UN recommendations (Rev. 2) - 3 • Reason for move/immigration: 35 • Resident status of foreigners in the country: 17 • Country of birth of parents:12 • Refugee/displacement related:9 • Migrant worker: 6 • Countries/place expected to live in the future: 3

28. Overall picture

29. Conclusions - 1 • Census is the most widely used data source for migration stock statistics • Country of birth was asked the most • However, if we combine the questions on “Duration of residence/previous residence” and “place of residence in a specified date in the past”, information on previous residence is even more commonly assessed

30. Conclusions - 2 • Compliance with the UN recommendations varies by countries • Different ways of asking questions might bring comparability issues

31. For more information • 2010 World Population and Housing Census Programme • National Census questionnaires • Interactive database on using population census to collect international migration data

32. THANK YOU!