Comparing internal migration around the globe

Martin Bell, University of Queensland
Elin Charles-Edwards, University of Queensland
Marek Kupiszewski, Central European Forum for Migration and Population Research (CEFMR)
Dorota Kupiszewska, Central European Forum for Migration and Population Research (CEFMR)
John Stillwell, University of Leeds
Yu Zhu, Fujian Normal University and Australian National University

Cross-national comparisons of internal migration are beset by a range of issues arising from inconsistencies in the way migration is measured, in the spatial and temporal referencing of moves, and in the sources from which the data are derived. This paper presents results from the IMAGE project, a collaborative international research program which aims to provide a robust framework for systematic comparisons of internal migration and advance understanding of the way in which Internal Migration varies Across the GlobE. An essential first step in such comparisons is a thorough understanding of the available data. The paper reports results from the IMAGE database, a global inventory of internal migration data collections for 193 UN Member States. We summarise the types of data collected, the intervals over which migration is measured and the spatial frameworks employed, and show how these vary between countries. We then utilise selected data to establish league tables comparing levels of mobility for a sample of UN Member States.