Migration Survey 2026: NSO To Conduct A Nationwide Comprehensive Survey, Check Highlights

The National Statistics Office (NSO) under the ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation will conduct a Survey on Migration across the country aimed at generating comprehensive and updated data on migration patterns in India. It will be conducted between July 2026 to June 2027.  

Key Highlights:

• The survey will be conducted by The National Statistics Office (NSO) under the ministry of Statistics during July 2026 to June 2027. 

• It will cover detail information on the extent and nature of migration which include

• Rural-urban migration

• inter-state movement

• Reasons for migration

• Return and seasonal migration

• The employment profiles of migration

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Currently MoSPI using the migration related data were collected through the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) 2020-2021 and Multiple Indicator Survey 2020-21. According to PLFS 2020-2021 current overall migration rate in India is 28.9% from which 10.7 accounts for male and 47.9% among females where a sharp gender gap exists. Marriage accounted for 86.8% of female migration and employment or better employment opportunities constituted the largest share at 22.8% for male migration. 

It highlights the gender-specific nature of migration in India, with women’s migration largely driven by social factors and men’s migration primarily influenced by labour market opportunities.

What is the significance? 

The Ministry has highlightedThe data generated will help policymakers, planners, researchers and development practitioners design more targeted interventions in key areas such as urban planning, housing, transport infrastructure, employment generation, social security and skill development. 

The National Statistics Office (NSO) will conduct a comprehensive nationwide migration survey from July 2026 to June 2027. This initiative aims to gather updated data on India's migration patterns, covering rural-urban shifts, inter-state movements, and reasons like employment or marriage. The findings will be crucial for policymakers to design targeted interventions in urban planning, housing, employment generation, and social security, addressing the diverse needs highlighted by current migration trends.

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