National Migration Survey (2026–27)

• 15 Nov 2025

Source: IE 

Why in News? 

The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) will conduct a year-long National Migration Survey from July 2026 to June 2027, the most comprehensive study of migration in nearly two decades. 

What is the National Migration Survey (2026–27)? 

• About: The National Migration Survey, conducted under the National Sample Survey framework, will cover nearly all states and union territories except the inaccessible villages of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. 
  • The survey aims to produce reliable estimates on key migration indicators, including the overall migration rate, out-migration levels, short-term migration patterns, the reasons people move, and the net migration balance across regions. 
• Need for the Migration Survey: India needs a new migration survey because the last NSS detailed migration survey (NSS 64th round in 2007–08) is outdated.  
  • With major changes in mobility, especially after Covid-19, fresh data is essential for planning housing, jobs, welfare portability, and regional development. 
• New Features of the 2026 Survey: Short-term migration will now cover stays of 15 days to six months, replacing the earlier one-to-six-month definition.  
  • The survey will track individual migrants instead of whole households, and it adds new questions on income changes, access to services, living conditions, and future migration plans to better understand the impact of mobility. 
• Previous Migration Surveys in India: Migration surveys have been conducted by the NSS since the 9th round (1955), with dedicated rounds such as the 18th (1963–64) and 64th (2007–08) collecting detailed information on various aspects of migration.  
  • More recent data on migration were collected through the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) 2020–21 and the Multiple Indicator Survey (2020–21).

Significance of National Migration Survey (2026–27) 

• Helps identify migration hotspots and employment-linked mobility corridors. 
• Enables targeted policies for housing, transport, and skilling. 
• Supports planning for urban expansion and labour market needs. 
• Offers insights for social protection schemes for migrants. 
• Strengthens India’s socio-economic data architecture after a long gap in migration-specific surveys.
  

What is Migration? 

• Migration: According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), migration is the movement of people away from their usual place of residence to a new place of residence, either across an international border or within a State. 
  • Under India’s NSS, migration refers to movement that changes an individual’s Usual Place of Residence (UPR). A person is considered a migrant if their last UPR differs from the current place of enumeration. 
• Migration in India: Migration in India (2020-2021) report contains estimates of the indicators based on information collected Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) 2020–21. 
  • The report showed India’s migration rate at 28.9%, with women migrating far more than men in both rural and urban areas.  
  • Rural female migration was 48% compared to 5.9% for men, while urban rates were 47.8% and 22.5% respectively.  
  • Reasons for moving differed sharply: 67% of men migrated for work, while 87% of women moved due to marriage. 
• Migration Key Concepts under National Sample Survey (NSS) 
  • Usual Place of Residence (UPR): The place (village or town) where a person has lived continuously for six months or more. 
  • Migration Rate: The percentage of migrants within a specific population category (rural, urban, male, female, etc.). 
  • Net Migration: The difference between in-migration and out-migration for any region. 
  • Short-Term Migrant: A person who has not changed their UPR, but stayed away from home for 15 days to less than 6 months in the last 365 days for employment or job search. 
  • Out-Migrant: A former household member who moved to another village or town at any time in the past and is still alive at the time of the survey.

Drishti Mains Question: 

Discuss the significance of a fresh National Migration Survey  for India’s urban planning and labour policy.

Frequently Asked Questions 

1. What is the National Migration Survey (2026–27)? 
Conducted under the National Sample Survey framework,  the survey aims to produce reliable estimates on key migration indicators, including the overall migration rate, out-migration levels, and short-term migration patterns.

2. Why track individual migrants rather than whole households? 
Individual tracking reduces household-level aggregation bias, captures circular and seasonal mobility, and yields person-level data on income, service access and future migration plans for targeted policymaking.

3. How will the survey inform policy on welfare portability and urban planning? 
By identifying migration hotspots, duration and reasons for movement, the survey enables targeted housing, transport, skilling and portability measures (PDS, health, education) tailored to migrant flows.

UPSC Civil Services Examination, Previous Year Questions (PYQs)  

Q. Consider the following statements:

1. Recently, all the countries of the United Nations have adopted the first-ever compact for international migration, the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM).
2. The objectives and commitments stated in the GCM are binding on the UN member countries.
3. The GCM addresses internal migration or internally displaced people also in its objectives and commitments.

How many of the above statements are correct? 

(A) Only one 

(B )Only two 

(C) All three 

(D) None 

Ans: D 

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Mians 

Q. Discuss the changes in the trends of labour migration within and outside India in the last four decades. (2015)