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Immigration Statistics for the 21st Century
1106 Wallace Hall Princeton University Princeton, NJ 08544 dmassey@princeton.edu.
Summary
Accurately measuring net migration, a key factor in population growth, is statistically challenging. This study reviews U.S. federal data sources on immigration, highlighting limitations and proposing improvements for better statistical capture.
Area of Science:
- Demography
- Sociology
- Public Policy
Background:
- Population growth is influenced by fertility, mortality, and net migration.
- Net migration presents significant statistical challenges compared to fertility and mortality.
- Understanding immigration is crucial for social scientists and policymakers.
Purpose of the Study:
- To critically evaluate federal statistical data sources on immigration in the U.S.
- To identify key limitations in current data collection regarding immigration.
- To propose cost-effective methods for improving immigration statistics.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing federal statistical data sources on immigration.
- Analysis of the strengths, weaknesses, and limitations of each data source.
- Identification of specific data gaps, such as parental birthplace and legal status.
Main Results:
- Federal data on immigration has inherent limitations affecting statistical accuracy.
- The removal of parental birthplace from the Census is a significant data deficiency.
- Incomplete data on the legal statuses of the U.S. population hinders accurate migration analysis.
Conclusions:
- Current federal data collection methods for immigration are insufficient.
- Recommendations include reinstating parental birthplace questions and surveying legal immigrants.
- Implementing the "two-card method" could enhance statistical data quality for immigration.
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