The global “diaspora”
diaspora”
database
Bela Hovy, Chief
Migration Section
Population Division/DESA
United Nations
Seminar on Peace building: The Role of Diasporas
UN Headquarters, New York
28-29 April 2009
Definition and sources
Concepts
• Preference for “Transnational communities”
communities” or
“expatriate communities”
communities” in stead of “diaspora”
diaspora”
Available data sources
• Consulates (registration)
Pro: inclusive
Con: coverage (esp. postpost-conflict)
• Refugee/asylumRefugee/asylum-seekers (registration)
Pro: detail
Con: coverage
• General population (census, registration)
Pro: coverage
Con: frequency (census only)
United Nations
Population Division/DESA
Population census
(2010 Census recommendations, UN/ECE)
Country of birth (foreign(foreign-born)
Country of citizenship (foreigners, stateless)
Country of birth of parents (descendants of
foreignforeign-born)
Country of previous residence (ever(ever-international
migrants)
Country of residence 5 years ago
Date of arrival
Reason for migration (employment, family,
study, asylum)
Cross tabulations with other census variables
United Nations
Population Division/DESA
1
Global Migration Database
All international migrant stock data by
country of birth, citizenship, sex and age
>230 countries/territories since 1960s
Population censuses, registers, surveys
> 4,000 tables, > 2.7 million records,
>600 subscribers
Funding: UNICEF and UNDPUNDP-SU/SSC
Data: UNPD, UNSD, WB, IPUMSIPUMS-I, ...
United Nations
Population Division/DESA
Policy relevance
Monitoring (Global migrant stock
estimates; size and characteristics of
“diaspora”
diaspora”; SouthSouth-South migration, …)
Protection (foreigners, stateless)
Durable solutions (return)
Special needs (migrant children, older
migrants, etc.)
OutOut-ofof-country elections (foreign citizens
of country A 18 and over)
……
United Nations
Population Division/DESA
United Nations
Population Division/DESA
2
United Nations
Population Division/DESA
Ex. 1: International migrant stock from India
by country of birth or citizenship, latest available data
No data
0 - 999
1,000 – 9,999
10,000 – 99,999
100,000 and over
United Nations
Population Division/DESA
Ex. 2: Size of the older migrant population
USA, 2000, 20 largest countries of birth
(% of international migrants 60 and > in total number of migrants)
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
G
ua
te
m
El
Sa ala
lv
ad
or
M
ex
ic
o
In
D
om
V di
i n i et a
ic
an Na
R m
ep
u
R
ep Co blic
ub l o
l ic mb
ia
of
Ko
re
a
H
Ja aiti
m
Ph aic
a
ili
pp
R
in
us
e
si
an Ja s
Fe pa
de n
ra
tio
n
C
hi
n
U
ni Po a
te
d lan
Ki d
ng
do
m
C
an
ad
a
C
u
G ba
er
m
an
y
Ita
ly
0%
United Nations
Population Division/DESA
3
Ex. 3. Countries with data on
stateless persons
Data on stateless available
United Nations
Population Division/DESA
The global migration data agenda
The easy and the notnot-soso-easy gains
Availibility of international migrant stock data, 1995-2004
Major
area
Africa
Asia
Europe
Latin Am. & Car.
Northern America
Oceania
Total
Total
migrant
stock
48%
72%
87%
78%
80%
88%
72%
Sex
36%
66%
81%
70%
80%
67%
63%
Migrant stock by
Age
Origin
27%
34%
48%
42%
72%
83%
52%
59%
60%
60%
54%
58%
50%
54%
All
16%
22%
49%
30%
40%
29%
29%
Source: Global Migration Database, United Nations Population Division, 2008
United Nations
Population Division/DESA
Global Migration
Database
www.unmigration.org
Questions? Comments?
Data?
[email protected]
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