Migration Region (inflow) variable: Census 2021

Definition of migration region (inflow), categories, and changes since the 2011 Census for use with research and analysis using Census 2021 data.

Last updated:
28 November 2023

Mnemonic: migration_region_inflow
Applicability: Person
Type: Derived variable

Definition

Identifies usual residents in England and Wales living in the same area and those who moved into the area in the one-year period before the census. “Area” defines the geographical level being shown in the table. “Associated area” refers to the next highest level of geography up the hierarchy.

Classification

Total number of categories: 6

Code Name
1 Lived at the same address one year ago
2 Inflow: lived elsewhere one year ago, but within the same area
3 Inflow: lived elsewhere one year ago outside the area, but within the associated area
4 Inflow: lived elsewhere one year ago outside the associated area, but within the UK
5 Inflow: lived elsewhere one year ago outside the UK
-8 Does not apply*

*Students and schoolchildren living away during term-time, short-term migrants and children aged under 1 year.

Background

Read about how we developed and tested the questions for Census 2021.

Comparability with the 2011 Census

Broadly comparable

Census 2021 does not record moves of those aged under 1 year on Census Day (21 March 2021) as they do not have an address one year ago. An estimate was made for these moves in 2011, but this has not been done for 2021.

What does broadly comparable mean?

A variable that is broadly comparable means that it can be generally compared with the same variable used in the 2011 Census. However, changes may have been made to the question or options that people could choose from or how write-in answers are classified.

England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland comparisons

Find out more about variables produced for Census 2021 in Northern Ireland and Census 2022 in Scotland.

Census 2021 data that uses this variable