Estimating Global Migration Flow Tables Using Place of Birth Data

International migration flow data often lacks adequate measurements of volumes, direction and completeness. These pitfalls limit comparative studies of migration and constrain cross national population projections to use net migration measures or inadequate data. This paper aims to address these issues at a global level, presenting estimates of bilateral flow tables between 191 countries. A methodology to estimate flow tables of migration transitions for the globe is illustrated in two parts. First, a methodology to derive flows from sequential stock tables is developed. Second, the methodology is applied to recently released World Bank migration stock tables between 1960 and 2000 (Ozden, 2011), estimating a set of four decadal global migration flow tables. The results of the applied methodology are discussed with reference to comparable estimates of global net migration flows of the United Nations and models for international migration flows. The proposed methodology adds to the limited previous literature on linking migration flows to stocks. The estimated flow tables represent a first-of-a-kind set of comparable global origin-destination flow data.