The National Statistics Office (NSO) under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation is preparing to conduct a nationwide Survey on Migration between July 2026 and June 2027. This exercise, part of the government’s regular statistical efforts, follows the most recent migration-related data gathered through the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) 2020–21 and the Multiple Indicator Survey conducted in the same period. Officials said the new survey will provide updated and detailed information on the scale and patterns of migration across India, covering rural–urban movement, inter‑state migration, reasons for migration, return and seasonal migration, and the employment profile of migrants.
The findings are expected to help policymakers better understand labour mobility, remittance flows and population movements, enabling improved planning in areas such as housing, transport, employment generation, urban development, social security and skill-based interventions.
According to the PLFS for 2020–21, India’s overall migration rate was estimated at 28.9 per cent. The survey also highlighted significant gender differences in migration patterns. At the all-India level, the migration rate among men stood at 10.7 per cent, while among women it was far higher at 47.9 per cent.
Marriage accounted for 86.8 per cent of all female migration, making it the dominant factor driving women’s relocation. In contrast, employment was the leading reason for migration among men, with 22.8 per cent reporting that they moved in search of work or better opportunities. These findings underline the gendered nature of migration in India, where social factors overwhelmingly shape the movement of women while labour market considerations primarily influence the mobility of men.
