3101.0 - Australian Demographic Statistics, Mar 2007  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 24/09/2007   
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TECHNICAL NOTE MEASURING NET OVERSEAS MIGRATION, METHOD USED SEPTEMBER QUARTER 2001 TO JUNE QUARTER 2006


BACKGROUND

The Improved method for calculating NOM

1 The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) has developed an improved method for calculating net overseas migration (NOM) for September quarter 2006 onwards. Estimates from the past time series and the current time series based on the improved method are not comparable. Preliminary estimates for September quarter 2006 onwards based on the new method are included in Table 2 on page 24 of this issue. The key change is the introduction of a '12/16 month rule' for measuring a person's residency in Australia, replacing the current '12/12 month rule'. For further information on the improved method see Information Paper: Improved Methods for Estimating Net Overseas Migration (cat. no. 3107.0.55.003) and Information Paper: Statistical Implications of Improved Methods for Estimating Net Overseas Migration, Australia, 2007 (cat. no. 3107.0.55.005).



The previous method for calculating NOM

2 The time series using the previous method is now final and has finished at June quarter 2006. The remainder of this Technical Note summarises this previous method for calculating NOM used between the September quarter 2001 and June quarter 2006. It explains the process used to calculate preliminary estimates of NOM and the process used to calculate final estimates of NOM. The most recent data available for each has been used to help explain each process.


3 Estimates of the Australian population are generated on a quarterly basis by adding natural increase (the excess of births over deaths) and NOM occurring during the period to the population at the beginning of each period. This is known as the cohort component method, and can be represented by the following equation:

      P(t+1) = P(t) + B - D + NOM, where:
          P(t) = the estimated resident population at time point t
          P(t+1) = the estimated resident population at time point t+1
          B = the number of births occurring between t and t+1
          D = the number of deaths occurring between t and t+1
          NOM = net overseas migration occurring between t and t+1.

4 For state and territory population estimates, an additional term is added to the equation representing net interstate migration occurring between t and t+1.


5 Net overseas migration accounts for around half of population growth at the national level. This note outlines how the ABS calculates NOM estimates by state and territory, including adjustments made to overcome some limitations of existing migration data.


6 The ABS estimates the level of NOM occurring during each quarter using data on incoming (i.e. arriving) and outgoing (i.e. departing) passenger movements at Australian air and sea ports. These movements are classified into three main categories depending on the stated duration of stay in Australia or overseas:

  • permanent movement;
  • long-term (one year or more) movement; and
  • short-term (less than one year) movement.

7 Conceptually, NOM is the difference between permanent and long-term arrivals, and permanent and long-term departures. However, at the time a person crosses the Australian border, it is not empirically known how long they will actually spend in Australia or overseas. For example, overseas visitors might change their travel plans and extend their stay in Australia (perhaps utilising on-shore visa grants), or depart earlier than they first intended. Similarly, Australian residents travelling overseas may change their plans while abroad (e.g. some might state that they are departing the country permanently, but return less than a year later, while others might stay overseas longer than they initially intended).


8 Some of these differences between stated travel intentions and actual travel behaviour may also reflect short interruptions to longer periods of stay or absence. For example, overseas students arriving in Australia might state that they intend to stay for three years, but return home for brief periods during this time. Similarly, Australians working or studying overseas might state that they intend to be away for more than a year but return for brief holidays.


9 The following diagram summarises the contributions of different types of overseas movements to NOM. Estimates of NOM are derived from information provided on incoming and outgoing passenger cards, as well as other data supplied by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC). Data on the intended duration of stay of overseas visitors arriving in Australia and the intended duration of absence of Australian residents travelling overseas are used to determine the numbers of permanent and long-term arrivals, and permanent and long-term departures. Passenger card data are also used to calculate migration adjustments and determine the state and territory distribution of NOM.

Adjustment of Movement Categories, Contribution of NOM
Diagram: Adjustment of Movement Categories, Contribution of NOM




Migration adjustments

10 The ABS applies a number of adjustments to overseas arrivals and departures data in order to produce estimates of NOM. These mainly comprise adjustments designed to reflect differences between stated travel intentions and actual travel behaviour, but (in the case of final NOM estimates) also include adjustments to transform numbers of overseas movements into numbers of travellers. These adjustments are collectively referred to as 'migration adjustments', although they have also been referred to in the past as 'category jumping' adjustments.


11 The processes of adjusting movement data on travellers' stated intentions to reflect their actual behaviour are complex, and depend upon the amount and type of movement data available at a particular point in time. The methods discussed here, used from September quarter 2001 to June quarter 2006, compare data on actual travel movements over a one year period with those first advised by individual travellers. These are explained in more detail in Demography Working Paper 2003/5 - Net Overseas Migration: Adjusting for Actual Duration of Stay or Absence (cat. no. 3137.0). In order to conduct such a comparison, data for a 15 month period (i.e. one year plus one quarter) are required. These adjustment methods described in the working paper have been applied to NOM data from the September quarter 2001 to the June quarter 2006.


12 Table 1 describes the impact that various types of migration adjustments have on NOM estimates. The adjustments applied to preliminary and final NOM estimates are described in more detail elsewhere in this document.

1. MIGRATION ADJUSTMENTS APPLIED TO NOM ESTIMATES

Migration Adjustment Treatment in adjusted estimates

ADJUSTMENTS MADE TO PRELIMINARY NOM ESTIMATES

Persons whose stated travel intentions differed from assumed travel behavior(a)
Long-term visitor arrivals assumed to be staying in Australia short-term Subtract from NOM
Long-term resident departures assumed to be staying overseas short-term Add to NOM
Short-term visitor arrivals assumed to be staying in Australia long-term Add to NOM
Short-term resident departures assumed to be staying overseas long-term Subtract from NOM

ADJUSTMENTS MADE TO FINAL NOM ESTIMATES

Persons whose stated travel intentions differed from actual travel behaviour(b)
Permanent arrivals who actually stayed in Australia short-term Subtract from NOM
Permanent departures who actually stayed overseas short-term Add to NOM
Long-term visitor arrivals who actually stayed in Australia short-term Subtract from NOM
Long-term resident departures who actually stayed overseas short-term Add to NOM
Short-term visitor arrivals who actually stayed in Australia long-term Add to NOM
Short-term resident departures who actually stayed overseas long-term Subtract from NOM
Multiple movements of travellers Subtract from NOM(c)

(a) Based on trends observed for the proportions of long-term and short-term arrivals and departures who change their travel behaviour.
(b) Based on matched passenger records comparing stated travel intentions with actual behaviour.
(c) Numbers of movements are converted into numbers of persons by matching passport numbers and other identifying personal details.



State and territory distribution of NOM

13 The state and territory distribution of NOM is based on information reported by travellers on arrival in or on departure from Australia. Incoming passenger cards provide information on the state or territory of a traveller's intended address within Australia, while outgoing passenger cards provide information on the state or territory in which a traveller lives or spent most time. However, the way in which this distribution is calculated differs between preliminary and final estimates of NOM due to the amount of data available.


14 The following sections of this document describe how preliminary and final estimates of NOM are created and distributed between states and territories.



PRELIMINARY NOM ESTIMATES

15 The ABS produces quarterly estimates of Australia's resident population (known as the ERP) six months after the end of the reference quarter, and is required under legislation to provide population estimates as at 31 December by 6 June of the following year. Since estimates of NOM (adjusted for actual travel behaviour) require 15 months of data, preliminary estimates of NOM are calculated to meet more immediate ERP requirements.



Migration adjustments

16 There are four main groups of travellers who provide an intended duration of stay on their passenger cards who have the potential to change their duration of stay or absence:

  • long-term overseas visitors who stayed in Australia for less than 12 months (i.e. long-term visitors who stayed in Australia short-term);
  • short-term overseas visitors who stayed in Australia for 12 months or more (i.e. short-term visitors who stayed in Australia long-term);
  • Australian residents departing long-term who stayed overseas for less than 12 months (long-term departures who stayed overseas short-term); and
  • Australian residents departing short-term who stayed overseas for 12 months or more (short-term departures who stayed overseas long-term).

17 Migration adjustments applied to preliminary NOM estimates are based on the trends observed for the proportions of long-term and short-term arrivals and departures who change their travel behaviour. Table 2 shows the proportion of long-term and short-term travellers in 2004-05 who had changed their stated travel intentions. Preliminary migration adjustments are only applied to the four major movement categories (i.e. long-term visitor arrivals, short-term visitor arrivals, long-term resident departures and short-term resident departures).

2. Changes in travel behaviour(a), Selected categories of movement(b) - September quarter 2004 to June quarter 2005

Long-Term Short-Term
Arrivals
Departures
Arrivals
Departures
Period
%
%
%
%

2004
September
67.5
49.8
2.5
2.2
December
65.4
48.7
2.5
2.2
2005
March
69.9
53.8
3.4
2.9
June
66.4
51.0
2.6
2.2
Average
67.3
50.8
2.7
2.4

(a) Proportion of travellers whose actual duration of stay or absence differed from their stated intentions.
(b) Based on stated intentions.


18 An average adjustment based on the most recent complete financial year for which 15 months of data exist is applied to each new quarter of movement data. For example, preliminary NOM estimates for the June quarter 2006 assumed that, based on the 2004-05 evidence, 67.3% of long-term visitor arrivals during the quarter would in fact stay in Australia for less than 12 months, while 50.8% of long-term resident departures would return to Australia within 12 months.


19 Table 3 shows how the preliminary NOM estimate for the June quarter 2006 was calculated.

3. components of net overseas migration - preliminary, original and adjusted estimates - June quarter 2006

Original Estimate
Migration Adjustment(a)
Adjusted estimate for preliminary nom
Initial category of movement
no.
no.
%
no.

Permanent movement
Permanent (settler) arrivals
32 440
. .
. .
32 440
Permanent departures
-16 010
. .
. .
-16 010
Long-term movement
Visitor arrivals
38 728
-26 062
67.3
12 666
Resident arrivals
21 197
. .
. .
21 197
Visitor departures
-21 631
. .
. .
-21 631
Resident departures
-23 733
12 064
50.8
-11 669
Short-term movement
Visitor arrivals
1 165 708
31 929
2.7
31 929
Resident arrivals
1 093 606
. .
. .
. .
Visitor departures
1 247 695
. .
. .
. .
Resident departures
1 302 298
-31 098
2.4
-31 098
Net overseas migration
30 991
-13 167
. .
17 824

. . not applicable
(a) Refer to table 1 in this Technical Note for further information on the migration adjustments applied to preliminary NOM estimates.



State and territory distribution

20 As noted in paragraph 13, the state and territory distribution of NOM is based on information reported by travellers on arrival in or on departure from Australia. However, at the time preliminary NOM estimates are calculated, information on the state or territory in which long-time arrivals will actually spend most time is not available because outgoing passenger cards for these persons have not yet been completed. State and territory distributions of long-term arrivals therefore refer to the state or territory of their intended addresses, as advised on incoming passenger cards. Similarly, state and territory distributions of permanent arrivals refer to their intended addresses as advised on incoming passenger cards, which may differ from the state or territory where they settle in the long-term.


21 The state and territory distribution of preliminary migration adjustments for a particular quarter is assumed to be the same as that of permanent and long-term arrivals in the same quarter. In practice, a national total is calculated for the migration adjustment. This is then distributed across the states and territories, by age and sex, using the distribution of permanent and long-term arrivals by state or territory of intended address. For example, since 24.0% of all permanent and long-term arrivals in the June quarter 2006 intended to live in Victoria, 24.0% of the total migration adjustment (-3,165) is also applied to this state. Table 4 shows components of net overseas migration for June quarter 2006 by state and territory.

4. Components of net overseas migration - preliminary, States and territories - June quarter 2006

NSW
Vic.
Qld
SA
WA
Tas.
NT
ACT
Aust.(a)
Category of movement
no.
no.
no.
no.
no.
no.
no.
no.
no.

Permanent and long-term arrivals
34 598
22 199
16 296
5 153
11 060
705
786
1 562
92 365
Permanent and long-term departures
24 689
14 066
10 855
2 838
6 256
618
424
1 627
61 374
Migration adjustment
-4 932
-3 165
-2 323
-735
-1 577
-100
-112
-223
-13 167
Net overseas migration
4 977
4 968
3 118
1 580
3 227
-13
250
-288
17 824

(a) Includes Other Territories - see paragraph 2 of the Explanatory Notes.


22 The method discussed here, of distributing the preliminary migration adjustment across states and territories, is the same as that which has been previously used for preliminary category jumping estimates (see paragraph A3.24 of Demographic Estimates and Projections: Concepts, Sources and Methods (cat. no. 3228.0). As more complete data became available the preliminary estimates of NOM were then finalised for the preceding financial year as discussed below.



FINAL NOM ESTIMATES

23 Preliminary estimates of NOM for a financial year were usually finalised in the following March issue of Australian Demographic Statistics (cat. no. 3101.0). These final NOM estimates use matched passenger records to calculate the actual duration of stay relating to overseas movements. Migration adjustments applied to final NOM estimates are based on these matched data and include, in addition to the four major movement categories previously identified, a subset of movements relating to permanent arrivals and permanent departures:

  • permanent (settler) arrivals who arrived in and left Australia in the same quarter, and did not return at any point during the 12 months following this arrival; and
  • permanent departures who left and returned to Australia in the same quarter, and did not depart at any point during the 12 months following this departure.

24 Migration adjustments applied to final NOM estimates also adjust for multiple movements of travellers (i.e. converting numbers of movements into numbers of persons).


25 The methodology for these final migration adjustments have been applied from the September quarter 2005 to June quarter 2006. Table 5 shows how final NOM estimates were calculated for 2005-06.

5. Components of net overseas migration - final, original and adjusted estimates - 2005-06

Original estimate
Migration adjustment(a)
Adjusted estimate for revised NOM
Initial category of movement
no.
no.
no.

Permanent movement
Permanent (settler) arrivals
131 593
-7 740
123 853
Permanent departures
-67 853
3 867
-63 986
Long-term movement
Visitor arrivals
221 923
-145 118
76 805
Resident arrivals
103 898
. .
103 898
Visitor departures
-92 175
. .
-92 175
Resident departures
-98 113
50 872
-47 241
Short-term movement
Visitor arrivals
5 484 051
153 458
153 458
Resident arrivals
4 790 101
. .
. .
Visitor departures
5 516 223
. .
. .
Resident departures
4 834 910
-107 859
-107 859
Net overseas migration
199 273
-52 520
146 753

. . not applicable
(a) Refer to table 1 in this Technical Note for further information on the migration adjustments applied to final NOM estimates.



State and territory distribution

26 The state and territory distribution of final NOM estimates is determined based on information reported on incoming and outgoing passenger cards (i.e. state or territory of intended address for arrivals and state or territory of residence/spent most time for departures).


27 The state and territory distributions of the migration adjustment are calculated based on the initial passenger card that identifies the movement of the traveller. For example, a long-term resident departure who returned to Australia within twelve months is added back to the state of residence they reported on departure (as identified on their outgoing passenger card). A long-term visitor arrival who actually stayed in Australia for less than twelve months is taken away from the state or territory they intended to live in (as identified on their incoming passenger card).


28 This method may be considered to be reasonable for people who, on arrival, intend to settle or stay in Australia for more than twelve months. However, there is less certainty about the reliability of the state or territory of intended stay for those persons who originally stated that they intended to stay for less than twelve months, but actually stayed longer, and this component of the migration adjustment is treated differently.


29 In the absence of direct information from outgoing passenger cards for this group, the ABS applied the state and territory distribution for short-term visitors departing Australia who were in Australia for between six and twelve months.

6. Components of net overseas migration - final, states and territories - 2005-06

Category of movement
NSW
Vic.
Qld
SA
WA
Tas.
NT
ACT
Aust.(a)

Permanent and long-term arrivals
171 015
113 468
77 391
25 220
54 685
3 849
3 105
8 668
457 414
Permanent and long-term departures
104 845
58 525
45 103
12 107
25 545
2 620
1 829
7 542
258 141
Migration adjustment
-27 647
-15 382
664
-3 300
-6 785
-63
615
-625
-52 520
Net overseas migration
38 523
39 561
32 952
9 813
22 355
1 166
1 891
501
146 753

(a) Includes Other Territories - see paragraph 2 of the Explanatory Notes.



CHANGES TO MIGRATION ADJUSTMENT METHODS

30 Due to changes in the methods used to adjust NOM estimates, caution should be used when comparing estimates over time. Table 7 describes the adjustment methods that have been applied to NOM estimates from September quarter 1996 to June quarter 2006 (i.e. the last two intercensal periods). Adjustments applied to overseas migration estimates have also been discussed in a special article in Migration, Australia, 2002-03 (cat. no. 3412.0).

MIGRATION ADJUSTMENT METHODS, September quarter 1996 to June quarter 2006

Period Adjustment method

September 1996 - June 1997 'Category jumping' adjustments applied using previous methodology(a)
September 1997 - June 2001 No adjustments applied (i.e. 'category jumping' set to zero)
September 2001 - June 2006 Migration adjustments used (final NOM estimates)

(a) For further information, refer to Appendix 3 in Demographic Estimates and Projections: Concepts, Sources and Methods (cat. no. 3228.0)



FURTHER INFORMATION

31 For information on the improved method for estimating NOM, that has replaced the methods described in this Technical Note, see Information Paper: Improved Methods for Estimating Net Overseas Migration (cat. no. 3107.0.55.003) and Information Paper: Statistical Implications of Improved Methods for Estimating Net Overseas Migration, Australia, 2007 (cat. no. 3107.0.55.005). For any further information on the measurement of NOM, contact Phil Browning on Canberra (02) 6252 6639.