Counting migrants: A new survey promises granular data for policymakers

Even though migration has been a political issue in states that are the source of the movement of people and their destination, policy understanding of it rests on surprisingly outdated foundations. The last dedicated migration survey was conducted in 2007-08 (National Sample Survey, 64th round), before smartphones, gig work, platform jobs, and climate-induced displacement reshaped the country’s labour market. The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation’s proposal to launch a comprehensive Migration Survey for 2026-27 is, therefore, timely, necessary, and long overdue. Reliable estimates of migration rates, reasons for the movement, remittances, and the lived experience of migrants can address a critical gap in policymaking. The data from the censuses and periodic modules of the National Sample Survey (NSS) measures population movements but these instruments capture only fragments of a reality that has evolved over time. Internal mobility today ranges from permanent relocations to hyper-short spells of work in areas such as construction, agriculture, logistics, and hospitality.

 

The 2020-21 NSS Multiple Indicator Survey indicated the scale of mobility. Nearly three in 10 Indians (29.1 per cent) were migrants, with the share rising to 34.6 per cent in urban areas. While 11.4 per cent of men had migrated as of 2020-21, the corresponding figure for women was 47.7 per cent, driven overwhelmingly by marriage. In contrast, nearly half (48.8 per cent) the male migrants relocated because of employment-related reasons. Mobility is also overwhelmingly localised. Over 87 per cent of migrants move within the same state, and around 58.5 per cent within the same district. Yet, this masks crucial differences in motivations. Nearly 40 per cent of those who migrated for work had come from a different state, compared to just 5 per cent among migrants owing to marriage. India’s labour mobility, in other words, is both more local and selectively long-distance.

 

However, the lived realities of migrants remain undercounted. Informal workers often underreport hardship to appear resilient or avoid bureaucratic scrutiny. Disparities across states are also stark. Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Telangana, Punjab, and Maharashtra have among the highest shares of migrants in their populations, reflecting strong urbanisation and economic dynamism. Outward migration, by contrast, continues to define the socioeconomic landscape of poorer states. States like Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Odisha have a long history of outbound migration. The recent Bihar elections also brought this into focus, with political parties forced to acknowledge the aspirations of workers who leave just for survival. 

 

The proposed survey seeks to correct some blind spots in policy by expanding the definition of “short-term migration” to include spells as brief as 15 days to less than six months, and classifying households based on whether they receive remittances and of what value. Perhaps the most significant innovation in the draft questionnaire is the recognition that migration is not just a journey but a process with consequences. Migrants will be asked whether moving improved their income, education, housing, health care, or access to basic amenities, and whether they face problems at their destinations. This shifts the focus from counting migrants to understanding their wellbeing. It will also provide a basis for evaluating urban infrastructure, labour protection, and welfare portability. Better migration data will help make informed policy decisions.