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Data Prospects: IPUMS-International

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Book cover International Handbook of Migration and Population Distribution

Part of the book series: International Handbooks of Population ((IHOP,volume 6))

Abstract

IPUMS is the world’s largest population database available to researchers. It currently contains individual-level information on 560 million persons from 258 censuses in 79 countries. Most countries provide multiple censuses, enabling study of change over time. Variables are coded consistently across all censuses to facilitate cross-national research IPUMS contains a wealth of migration data, including place of birth, residence 1 or 5 years in the past, and a variety of other variables, depending on the questions asked in particular censuses. Birthplace and prior residence information usually identify both international and internal migration, and the samples are generally large enough to study particular migrant groups. Because IPUMS provides the individual-level census records, it enables researchers to conduct multivariate analyses on the characteristics of migrants and their households as well as how they differ from non-migrants. The data have limitations owing to the differing content of census questionnaires and the suppression of low-level geographic detail to protect respondent confidentiality. Nevertheless, for many research purposes, IPUMS is the best available source of information on migrant populations worldwide.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Minnesota, Minnesota Population Center, Minneapolis, MN, USA

    Matt Sobek

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  1. Matt Sobek
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Correspondence to Matt Sobek .

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  1. Brown University Dept. Sociology, Providence, Rhode Island, USA

    Michael J. White

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Sobek, M. (2016). Data Prospects: IPUMS-International. In: White, M. (eds) International Handbook of Migration and Population Distribution. International Handbooks of Population, vol 6. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-7282-2_8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-7282-2_8

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-94-017-7281-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-017-7282-2

  • eBook Packages: Social SciencesSocial Sciences (R0)

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