INTERNAL MIGRATION
DIRECTIONS FOR 2011 CENSUS
Collection of data related to internal migration will need to be considered in conjunction with the proposal to expand the Usual residence at Census time topic for the 2011 Census.
Users have expressed interest in expanded data for usual residence at Census time, including:
- time spent at the current usual residence
- address of previous usual residence.
It is anticipated that a question on address of previous usual residence, if included in the 2011 Census, would replace one or both of the questions on internal migration.
JUSTIFICATION
Information on usual residence one year ago and five years ago is used to determine the patterns of internal migration, which in turn is used for the production of intercensal and postcensal population estimates.
The Census is the only source of data on usual residence one and five years ago.
HISTORICAL INFORMATION
Since 1971 people have been asked to provide the full address of their usual residence five years ago. A question on usual residence one year ago has been included since 1976. In 1991, respondents were asked only for their state of usual residence one year ago and for their full address five years ago. Full address of usual residence for both one year ago and five years ago has been asked since the 1996 Census.
USER REQUIREMENTS
Data on a person’s usual residence one or five years ago, when combined with responses to the question on usual residence at Census time, provide information on the extent of internal migration of the population. Such data are used in the production of intercensal and postcensal population estimates, all of which are compiled on the basis of usual residence. In addition, as internal migration is a major component of population change for many areas, the data are important in the calculation of population forecasts.
Coupled with other Census topics, these questions provide information on the characteristics of the migratory population as well as the non-migratory population.
Information on the internal migration patterns of the population at national, state/territory, regional and local government levels is required for many planning purposes. In particular the data are used in:
- forecasting short and medium term housing requirements
- planning transport, health and educational services
- zoning, release and development of land for residential and commercial purposes.
AVAILABILITY OF NON-CENSUS DATA
Some administrative by-product data, such as change of address information from Medicare, give regular statistics on the number of movements. However, only very limited details are available on the characteristics of movers. Such data are also subject to changes in their coverage.
OTHER POSSIBLE CHANGES FOR 2011
For the 2011 Census, the ABS is considering expansion of the 'Other country' response to require specification of the name of the country at which the person usually lived one and five years ago. This is important for assessing the specific countries from which recent migrants have originated (which may not be the same as their country of birth).
2006 CENSUS QUESTIONS
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