Collecting%20information%20on%20emigration%20at%20the%20census

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Collecting information on emigration at the census

• Olga Chudinovskikh (Lomonosov Univ.)
• Rudolf Anich (UNECE)
• Enrico Bisogno (UNECE)

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Main questions on emigration

• How many nationals/previous residents are living
  abroad?
• What are the main countries of destination
• How long have been emigrants absent from the
  country of origin?
• What are the main reasons for moving abroad?
• What is the social-demographic profile of the
  emigrants?
• Do the emigrants intend to return back?
• Do the emigrants have economic ties with the
  original household?

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Using the census for estimating emigration some
countries tried
Georgia 2002 Tunisia 2004 Panama 1990 Used a special module for household members who left the country during a period before the census
Nepal 1981 El Salvador 1992 Guatemala 1994 Dominican Republic 1992 Venezuela 1990 Used a special module for household members living abroad regardless of when they left the country
Moldova 2004 Poland 2002 Singapore 2000 Included specific questions in the census form, as any other household member (emigrants identified in data processing)
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Focus of this exercise 4 countries
Georgia Tunisia Moldova Poland
Date of census Jan. 2002 April 2004 Oct. 2004 May 2002
Resident Population 4.372.000 9.911.000 3.383.000 38.230.000
Emigrants 114.000 76.000 273.000 786.000
Ratio emigrants/resident population 2,6 0,8 8,1 2,1
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Outline of analysis

• Description of practices
• Count of emigrants vs. population count
• Accuracy of emigration count
• Lessons learned

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Georgia (2002)

• Target group
• Previous household members who left the country
  after 1991
• Absent from Georgia for 12 months or longer
• Respondents
• Any adult member of the household
• Relatives, neighbours, administrative authorities

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Georgia census module for emigrants

• Questions asked
• Demographic-social characteristics Relationship
  to reference person, sex, date of birth, place of
  birth, education, nationality
• Date of emigration
• Country of emigration and currently living
• Reason of emigration
• Economic support
• family ? emigrant and emigrant ? family
• Intention to return

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Tunisia (2004)

• Target group
• Persons who at the time of the census
• abroad for 6 months or longer
• member of the family nucleus 5 years before the
  census
• Respondents
• Members of the family nucleus (spouse and
  unmarried children)

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Tunisia census module for emigrants

• Questions asked
• Demographic-social characteristics sex, date and
  country of birth, country of citizenship
• Relationship to reference person
• Date of emigration
• Reason to move
• Country of destination

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Moldova (2004)

• Target group
• Permanent resident registered in the country
• Person temporarily abroad (regardless of the
  duration and reason of absence)
• Respondents
• Household members of the absent person

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Moldova questions in the census questionnaire

• Questions asked in the individual questionnaire
• At 1200 a.m. of census day the person was
• Temporarily absent, and left on _______
• In other locality of the country
• Abroad (please indicate the country
  ________________)
• Reason
• For work
• For study
• Other reason
• Absence duration
• Less than one year
• More than one year (please indicate the year when
  left ________________)

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Poland (2002)

• Target group
• Permanent resident registered in Poland
• Person temporarily staying abroad for ? 2
  months (regardless of the period of stay)
• Respondents
• Family members of the absent person
• Persons living with the absentee before his/her
  departure
• Neighbours

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Poland questions in the census questionnaire

• Questions asked in the individual questionnaire)
  
• Do you live here permanently and were you present
  or absent on census reference day or do you stay
  here temporarily?
• Live permanently present
• Live permanently absent stay in other place in
  Poland
• Live permanently absent stay abroad
• Stay temporarily arrived from other place in
  Poland
• Stay temporarily arrived from abroad
• What is the real duration of your absence or
  staying?
• Up to 2 months
• Between 2 and 6 months
• Between 6 and 12 months
• 12 months and more
• What is the reason of your absence or staying?
• Education
• Work
• Family reasons

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Two main typologies

• Georgia and Tunisia separate module
• Moldova and Poland questions in the main
  questionnaire

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Different impact on population count

• Georgia and Tunisia emigrants excluded from
  population count
• Moldova and Poland emigrants included in
  population count

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Accuracy of emigration count

• How to assess if these modules were successful to
  count emigrants?
• Data obtained from the census compared with data
  collected in receiving countries

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Main destination countries
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Citizens of Poland living in other countries
(2004)
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Poland emigrants by year of migration
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Tunisia age profile of emigrants
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Tunisia
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Tunisia looking a bit deeper..
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Lessons learnt

• Data collection worked well for emigrants that
• Had left the country in the years just before the
  census (up to 5 yrs.)
• Are more likely to keep close ties with the
  country (Polish data were better for Italy and
  Germany than for emigrants in the US or Canada)
• Are members of the family nucleus that is left
  behind (e.g. Tunisian males)
• Are still included in an administrative register
  (Poland)

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To conclude

• Its fundamental to keep separate the count of
  population from the count of emigrants (persons
  residing abroad for 1 year or more)
• The census cannot provide a good estimate of the
  total number of emigrants living abroad
• Its important to identify what group of
  emigrants we can reasonably count in a census.
  (For example, those having left the country in
  the last years and having close family ties)

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To conclude

• An emigration module can provide important
  information, not on the total count, but on other
  aspects (geographical distribution of emigrants,
  information on households left behind, reason of
  migration, socio-economic characteristics)
• Accurate test of questions/module is necessary
  (use experience of other countries)
• Choice of respondents is fundamental
  (undercounting vs. overcounting)
• Use of data from receiving countries is a good
  source for total counts