Migration Data Sources
Last updated: June 2006
The best available sources of migration information are GP registrations and the International Passenger Survey (IPS) which samples people using the principal air, sea and tunnel routes to and from the UK. The IPS sample is small, particularly for Scottish migrants (approximately 100 survey contacts during 2004) and estimates derived from the IPS are therefore less reliable than UK-level estimates — particularly as regards country of origin/destination and age of migrants.
The 2001 Census, provides a snapshot of better data, based on the Census question about "What was your usual address one year ago?" Even that does not identify people who were in Scotland one year ago but have since moved out with the UK.
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Migration