How far do internal migrants really move? Demonstrating a new method for the estimation of intra-zonal distance

Although population censuses in the United Kingdom provide the most detailed data on internal migration, they do not reveal with any degree of precision how far people travel when they make a permanent change of usual address. This paper makes use of alternative data from a large consumer survey to estimate distances of migration within England in the mid-2000s. Following a review of previous approaches to migration distance measurement and modelling, this paper seeks to evaluate the accuracy of conventional distance estimation methods and provide the basis for a new regression-based method of estimating intra-zonal distance. The new approach, which can be applied whenever different aggregations of the flow matrix and spatial units are available, is shown to result in significantly improved goodness of fit statistics for doubly constrained spatial interaction models

The 2011 Census in the United Kingdom

In this introductory chapter, some context is established for the 2011 Census and for the chapters which follow in the remainder of the book by reviewing the way in which populations in different countries are counted and the demise of traditional census-taking that is evident across Europe. The future of the census in the United Kingdom has been debated widely over the current decade and the arguments for and against its continuation are summarised. Efficient census data dissemination to the academic user community is critical for high quality and timely research; the role of the UK Data Service-Census Support in this process is explained and the content and structure of the book are outlined

Commuting Intensities and Patterns in England and Wales, 2001-2011

In this chapter, aggregate and micro data from the 2011 Census are used in conjunction with comparable data from the 2001 Census to identify patterns of and changes in commuting and homeworking rates at national and district levels in England and Wales. In overall terms, rates of commuting are increasing but this trend is not apparent in all parts of the country or for all modes of travel. There is evidence of convergence in commuting rates between various sub-groups of the population but travel by car continues to be by far the most popular modal choice, except of course in London which dominates the train network and where many commuters use the underground to get to work

Internal migration propensities and net migration patterns of ethnic groups in Britain

Internal migration propensities of ethnic groups are examined using three types of census data. Special Migration Statistics show variation in aggregate propensities whereas commissioned age-specific flow data indicate age variations by ethnic group. Micro data from Samples of Anonymised Records confirm low Asian propensities and suggest convergence between 1991 and 2001. Inter-district net migration reveals familiar counterurbanisation trends for whites but more complex patterns for non-whites. Evidence suggests white net migration at this scale is greater in areas with higher non-white population shares which themselves experience higher non-white immigration rates

Studying Internal Migration in a Cross-National Context

This chapter makes the case for international comparative research on internal migration and goes on to highlight some of the methodological problems faced in doing this. These include different temporal coverages of national internal migration data series, different migration definitions (as events or transitions), varying population coverage and changes in the size and shape of the spatial units between which people are counted as moving. It then considers the various ways of overcoming these problems. These include creating consistent geographical units, modelling missing data and creating and using robust migration measures. It is argued that internal migration data should be collected that is consistent through time (and between countries) and that address-changing over a defined period is a good measure

Circular Migration Plots

This chapter applies a new method for visualising a system of migration flows in one easy-to-read graphic that can depict the relative size and direction of migration streams. This approach goes beyond traditional flow maps that are constrained by the geography of regions and nation states. The inspiration for the circular layout was drawn from visualisations of genomic data using a visualization software package called Circos. In our circular migration plots, the sizes of flows in different parts of the UK drawn from the 2011 Census can be directly compared with each other. The static visualisations of inter-regional migration flows are complemented by an interactive visualisation of migration flows at the local and regional levels, disaggregated by age group

Changing Intensities and Spatial Patterns of Internal Migration in the UK

UK population censuses are an invaluable source of information that helps us to understand the redistribution of the population through internal migration. However, making comparisons between censuses, even those that are taken consecutively, is rarely straightforward. In this chapter, we use origin-destination flow data from the 2011 and 2001 Censuses at district level to illustrate the problems of comparison, generate an adjusted set of flows to enable consistent comparison and establish what changes are evident when using aggregate and age-group indicators of migration intensity and impact. The results suggest that intensities have fallen marginally overall and most significantly in the older age groups whilst changes in the impact of migration are most evident in the 15-19 age group. We use the IMAGE Studio to identify the effects of scale and zonation on three selected migration indicators

UK Census Aggregate Statistics: Characteristics and Access

Census aggregate statistics are the most extensive, complex and widely used data products released by the three UK Census Offices. They provide the essential information on the characteristics and distribution of the population throughout the United Kingdom. They are a national resource, providing the backbone of high quality national demographic and socio-economic information. This chapter outlines the characteristics and value of 2011 Census aggregate statistics, as well as the challenges in managing and delivering them for use in ways that maximise their accessibility, utility and impact. In the context of user access, we summarise the systems provided by the Census Offices and present details of an innovative multidimensional modelling approach that has been used to develop InFuse, a system that allows users to access the aggregate statistics without knowledge of the table structures used by the Census Offices