united nations economic commission for europe statistical division collecting information on...

United Nations Economic Commission for EuropeStatistical DivisionUnited Nations Economic Commission for EuropeStatistical Division

Collecting information on emigration at the census

Olga Chudinovskikh (Lomonosov Univ.)

Rudolf Anich (UNECE)

Enrico Bisogno (UNECE)

UNECE Statistical Division Slide 2

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?


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)


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%


Outline of analysis

1. Description of practices

2. Count of emigrants vs. population count

3. Accuracy of emigration count

4. Lessons learned


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


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


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)


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


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


Moldova: questions in the census questionnaire

Questions asked in the individual questionnaire: At 12:00 a.m. of census day the person was:

o Temporarily absent, and left on _______o In other locality of the countryo Abroad (please indicate the country: ________________)

Reason:o For worko For studyo Other reason

Absence duration:o Less than one yearo More than one year (please indicate the year when left:

________________)


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


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? o Live permanently – presento Live permanently – absent stay in other place in Polando Live permanently – absent stay abroado Stay temporarily – arrived from other place in Polando Stay temporarily – arrived from abroad

What is the real duration of your absence or staying?o Up to 2 months o Between 2 and 6 monthso Between 6 and 12 months o 12 months and more

What is the reason of your absence or staying?o Educationo Worko Family reasonso ……………………


Two main typologies

Georgia and Tunisia: separate module

Moldova and Poland: questions in the main questionnaire


Different impact on population count

Georgia and Tunisia: emigrants excluded from population count

Moldova and Poland: emigrants included in population count


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


Main destination countries

Georgia Tunisia Moldova Poland

Destination countries

% Destination countries



%

Russia 64.1% France 42.2% Russia 56.2% Germany 37.4%

Greece 16.2% Italy 22.4% Italy 19.4% USA 20.1%

Germany 4.3% Lybia 7.1% Romania 3.9% Italy 5.0%

USA 3.8% Germany 6.5% Portugal 3.5% Canada 3.7%


Citizens of Poland living in other countries (2004)

Census data from Poland

(1)

Data from destination

country (2)

(1) / (2)

Italy * 39'300 33'800 116.3Germany 294'300 313'400 93.9USA 136'500 212'700 64.2Canada 26'300 66'200 39.7

Note *: data from Italy do not include minors


Poland: emigrants by year of migration

2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995 1994 19930

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

Year of migration, emigrants from Poland living in Germany

German dataPolish data


Tunisia

(1) / (2)

Italy * 17'000 23'300 73.0Germany 4'900 7'800 62.8

Note *: data from Italy do not include minors

Census data from Tunisia

(1)

Data from destination

country (2)


Tunisia: looking a bit deeper…..

Tunisia: ratio between data from Tunisian census and data from destination countries

0102030405060708090

100

Nationals of Tunisia inItaly

Nationals of Tunisia inGermany

Total

Males

Females


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)


To conclude…

It’s 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

It’s 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)


To conclude… An emigration module can provide important information on

‘qualitative’ aspects such as: geographical distribution of emigrants, information on households left behind, reason of migration, socio-economic characteristics, etc.

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

united nations economic commission for europe statistical division collecting information on...

Documents