Migration: data introduction

A recent government report - Recent migration into Scotland – the Evidence Base - commented on the limited range of migration data available:- 'Statistical sources of data on migration into Scotland have a number of limitations: estimates below UK level are not robust; available sources measure migration flows rather than stocks; and there is little data on characteristics, outcomes, intentions and attitudes of migrants.' However the General Register Office for Scotland (GRO(S)) have made some recent improvements in migration statistics e.g. the breakdown of net migration into the categories of "within Scotland", "with Rest of UK" and "with Rest of World", as well as information on gross flows. GRO(S) are also now preparing migration reports, which bring together information from various sources for local areas.  

The table below shows the dimensions and geographies for which migration data are presented within the data pages which follow.  These pages contain a limited selection of charts on migration.  The main source of migration data in Scotland is the General Register Office for Scotland (GRO(S)).

Table 1: Data for Scotland presented on the Migration data pages

Data dimensions/geographies	Data presented? (Y=yes; N=no)
By gender	N
By age group	N
By deprivation group	N
By NHS board area	Y
By local authority area	Y
By community health partnership (CHP) area	N
Time trend	Y
National target	n/a
Comparison with UK/GB	N
International comparison	N

Please note: If you require the most up-to-date data available, please check the data sources directly as new data may have been published since these data pages were last updated. Although we endeavour to ensure that the data pages are kept up-to-date, there may be a time lag between new data being published and the relevant ScotPHO web pages being updated.