Parliament Question: Survey on migration in the country

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF STATISTICS AND PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTATION RAJYA SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 316 TO BE ANSWERED ON 02.02.2026 SURVEY ON MIGRATION IN THE COUNTRY

316. SHRI PRAMOD TIWARI:

Will the Minister of STATISTICS AND PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTATION be

pleased to state:

(a) whether Government proposes to start survey on migration covering almost the entire country;

(b) if so, the details thereof;

(c) the manner in which information gathered by the survey will benefit policy makers, planners, researchers and development practitioners in targeted interventions;

(d) the present migration rate; and

(e) the reasons for male and female migration being markedly different at present? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE MINISTRY OF STATISTICS AND PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTATION; MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE MINISTRY OF PLANNING AND MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF CULTURE [RAO INDERJIT SINGH]

(a) and (b): National Statistics Office (NSO), Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) has proposed to conduct a Survey on Migration during July 2026- June 2027.

(c): Migration surveys have been conducted by MoSPI in regular intervals; the most recent data on migration were collected through the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) 2020–21 and the Multiple Indicator Survey (2020–21). The forthcoming Survey on Migration is expected to provide comprehensive and up-to-date data on the extent and patterns of migration, both rural–urban and inter-state, along with reasons for migration, return migration, seasonal migration, employment profiles of migrants, etc. The results will be instrumental in understanding labour mobility, remittance flows, etc. Such information will greatly benefit policymakers, planners, researchers, and development practitioners by enabling more targeted interventions in areas such as urban planning, housing, transportation, employment generation, social security and skill development.

(d): According to the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) conducted during July 2020– June 2021, the migration rate in India was estimated at 28.9%.

(e): As per the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS), 2020–21, the migration rate at the all-India level was estimated at 10.7% among male and 47.9% among female. The reasons for migration differ significantly by sex. Among female, marriage accounted for the predominant share of migration, contributing about 86.8 per cent of all female migrants. In contrast, among male, migration in search of employment or better employment constitutes the highest share at 22.8% at the all-India level. These distinct patterns highlight the gender- specific nature of migration in India, with female migration largely influenced by social factors such as marriage, and male migration primarily shaped by labour market opportunities.

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