Data for: World's human migration patterns in 2000-2019 unveiled by high-resolution data

This dataset provides a global gridded (5 arc-min resolution) detailed annual net-migration dataset for 2000-2019. We also provide global annual birth and death rate datasets – that were used to estimate the net-migration – for same years. The dataset is presented in details, with some further analyses, in the following publication. Please cite this paper when using data. 

Niva et al. 2023. World's human migration patterns in 2000-2019 unveiled by high-resolution data. Nature Human Behaviour 7: 2023–2037. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-023-01689-4 

You can explore the data in our online net-migration explorer: https://wdrg.aalto.fi/global-net-migration-explorer/

Short introduction to the data

For the dataset, we collected, gap-filled, and harmonised:  

1. a comprehensive national level birth and death rate datasets for altogether 216 countries or sovereign states; and  
2. sub-national data for births (data covering 163 countries, divided altogether into 2555 admin units) and deaths (123 countries, 2067 admin units).

These birth and death rates were downscaled with selected socio-economic indicators to 5 arc-min grid for each year 2000-2019. These allowed us to calculate the 'natural' population change and when this was compared with the reported changes in population, we were able to estimate the annual net-migration. See more about the methods and calculations at Niva et al (2023).  

We recommend using the data either over multiple years (we provide 3, 5 and 20 year net-migration sums at gridded level) or then aggregated over larger area (we provide adm0, adm1 and adm2 level geospatial polygon files). This is due to some noise in the gridded annual data. 

Due to copy-right issues we are not able to release all the original data collected, but those can be requested from the authors. 

List of datasets

Birth and death rates: 

raster_birth_rate_2000_2019.tif: Gridded birth rate for 2000-2019 (5 arc-min; multiband tif) 

raster_death_rate_2000_2019.tif: Gridded death rate for 2000-2019 (5 arc-min; multiband tif) 

tabulated_adm1adm0_birth_rate.csv: Tabulated sub-national birth rate for 2000-2019 at the division to which data was collected (subnational data when available, otherwise national) 

tabulated_ adm1adm0_death_rate.csv: Tabulated sub-national death rate for 2000-2019 at the division to which data was collected (subnational data when available, otherwise national) 

Net-migration:  

raster_netMgr_2000_2019_annual.tif: Gridded annual net-migration 2000-2019 (5 arc-min; multiband tif) 

raster_netMgr_2000_2019_3yrSum.tif: Gridded 3-yr sum net-migration 2000-2019 (5 arc-min; multiband tif) 

raster_netMgr_2000_2019_5yrSum.tif: Gridded 5-yr sum net-migration 2000-2019 (5 arc-min; multiband tif) 

raster_netMgr_2000_2019_20yrSum.tif: Gridded 20-yr sum net-migration 2000-2019 (5 arc-min) 

polyg_adm0_dataNetMgr.gpkg: National (adm 0 level) net-migration geospatial file (gpkg)  

polyg_adm1_dataNetMgr.gpkg: Provincial (adm 1 level) net-migration geospatial file (gpkg) (if not adm 1 level division, adm 0 used) 

polyg_adm2_dataNetMgr.gpkg: Communal (adm 2 level) net-migration geospatial file (gpkg) (if not adm 2 level division, adm 1 used; and if not adm 1 level division either, adm 0 used) 

Files to run online net migration explorer 

masterData.rds and admGeoms.rds are related to our online ‘Net-migration explorer’ tool (https://wdrg.aalto.fi/global-net-migration-explorer/). The source code of this application is available in https://github.com/vvirkki/net-migration-explorer. Running the application locally requires these two .rds files from this repository. 

Metadata 

Grids: 

Resolution: 5 arc-min (0.083333333 degrees) 

Spatial extent: Lon: -180, 180; -90, 90 (xmin, xmax, ymin, ymax) 

Coordinate ref system: EPSG:4326 - WGS 84 

Format: Multiband geotiff; each band for each year over 2000-2019 

Units: 

• Birth and death rates: births/deaths per 1000 people per year 

• Net-migration: persons per 1000 people per time period (year, 3yr, 5yr, 20yr, depending on the dataset) 

Geospatial polygon (gpkg) files: 

Spatial extent: -180, 180; -90, 83.67 (xmin, xmax, ymin, ymax) 

Temporal extent: annual over 2000-2019 

Coordinate ref system: EPSG:4326 - WGS 84 

Format: gkpk 

Units:  

• Net-migration: persons per 1000 people per year