Selected figures, with their definitions
| Measure | Value | Reference period |
|---|---|---|
| All-India migration rate, all personspercent of persons | 28.9 | July 2020–June 2021 Official source |
Persons with a different last usual residence at any time in the past; not the share who moved during this survey year.
Ask which migration history you need
Birthplace and previous residence are different ways to describe migration. Census 2011 D-01 classifies people by place of birth. D-05 uses place of last residence and includes age, sex, reasons and duration of residence. A person can have several moves in their history, while a table of last residence captures only a particular view of that history.
Separate a stock from a flow
A migration stock describes people classified as migrants when observed. It is not the number of moves made during a year. Duration categories can identify more recent arrivals within a stock, but they still belong to the source’s definitions. A migrant is not automatically a migrant worker, international migrant, commuter or tourist. Each label requires its own evidence.
Use the newer survey with its caveats
MoSPI’s Migration in India, 2020–21 covers July 2020 to June 2021. Its migration classification compares current residence with the last usual residence at any time in the past. The usual-residence rule uses a six-month stay or intention to stay. Its published migration rate therefore describes a population share, not an annual flow.
The questions were collected through PLFS, whose sample was not designed specifically for migration. The reference period also overlaps the pandemic and fieldwork disruption. The report’s separate temporary-visitor measure has a specific pandemic context; it should not be read as the Ministry of Tourism’s visitor measure.
Use origins and reasons as research context
Migration tables can help frame questions about language support, arrival duration and connections between places. Check the denominator before comparing reasons: the share of migrants moving for work differs from the share of all residents who are work-related migrants. For current transport, rental or service demand, seek additional evidence on present movements and local conditions. Historical migration patterns alone cannot establish today’s flows.