Researchers map global migration by age and education
Summary and headline written by AI from the source article. How we work
Scientists at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) in Austria created the first global dataset detailing the age, gender, and education levels of migrants across 199 countries from 1990 to 2020.
The researchers, Dilek Yildiz and Guy Abel, used census data from 74 countries and machine learning to estimate the composition of migrant populations over six five-year periods.
They found that the proportion of highly educated immigrants has increased worldwide, with Europe having the highest percentage of immigrants with secondary or higher education. The study revealed patterns in migration flows, showing that Australia and Germany received a high proportion of university-educated immigrants between 2015 and 2020, while Bangladesh and Nigeria saw more immigrants with lower levels of education. South Africa showed a larger share of young, working-age migrants compared to other countries studied.
Over the entire period, Australia, Germany, and the United States consistently attracted more highly educated immigrants, while China and Fiji saw increases in secondary education levels among newcomers. Yildiz provided data for Austria, noting that an increase in the percentage of highly educated immigrants does not necessarily mean more people with higher education are arriving, but reflects a change in the overall composition of immigrant groups.
In Austria, the percentage of female immigrants with university degrees rose from 12 to 20 percent, and for men, it increased from 17 to 19 percent, between 1990 and 2020. The researchers believe this detailed data will improve population forecasts and inform planning for education, healthcare, and other public services.
