Where on Earth is Everybody? The Evolution of Global Bilateral Migration 1960-2000

59 Pages Posted: 20 Apr 2016

See all articles by Caglar Ozden

Caglar Ozden

World Bank - Research Department

Christopher Robert Parsons

The University of Western Australia - Department of Economics

Maurice Schiff

Fellow, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA)

Terrie Louise Walmsley

Purdue University - Center for Global Trade Analysis

Date Written: June 1, 2011

Abstract

Global matrices of bilateral migrant stocks spanning 1960?2000 are presented, disaggregated by gender and based primarily on the foreign-born definition of migrants. More than one thousand census and population register records are combined to construct decennial matrices corresponding to the five census rounds between 1960 and 2000. For the first time, a comprehensive picture of bilateral global migration over the second half of the 20th century emerges. The data reveal that the global migrant stock increased from 92 million in 1960 to 165 million in 2000. Quantitatively, migration between developing countries dominates, constituting half of all international migration in 2000. When the partition of India and the dissolution of the Soviet Union are accounted for, migration between developing countries is remarkably stable over the period. Migration from developing to developed countries is the fastest growing component of international migration in both absolute and relative terms. The United States has remained the most important migrant destination in the world, home to one fifth of the world?s migrants and the top destination for migrants from some 60 sending countries. Migration to Western Europe has come largely from elsewhere in Europe. The oil-rich Persian Gulf countries emerge as important destinations for migrants from the Middle East and North Africa and South and Southeast Asia. Finally, although the global migrant stock is predominantly male, the proportion of female migrants increased noticeably between 1960 and 2000. The number of women rose in every region except South Asia.

Keywords: Population Policies, Gender and Development, International Migration, Human Migrations & Resettlements, Voluntary and Involuntary Resettlement

Suggested Citation

Özden, Çaglar and Parsons, Christopher Robert and Schiff, Maurice W. and Walmsley, Terrie Louise, Where on Earth is Everybody? The Evolution of Global Bilateral Migration 1960-2000 (June 1, 2011). World Bank Policy Research Working Paper No. 5709, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1875414

Çaglar Özden (Contact Author)

World Bank - Research Department ( email )

1818 H Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20433
United States

HOME PAGE: http://econ.worldbank.org/staff/cozden

Christopher Robert Parsons

The University of Western Australia - Department of Economics ( email )

35 Stirling Highway
Crawley, Western Australia 6009
Australia

Maurice W. Schiff

Fellow, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA) ( email )

Bonn
Germany

Terrie Louise Walmsley

Purdue University - Center for Global Trade Analysis ( email )

1145 Krannert Building
West Lafayette, IN 47907
United States

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