ISLAMABAD, Nov 25 (Wealth Pakistan): Pakistan’s migration patterns documented in the Labour Force Survey 2024-25 show extensive internal and inter-provincial movement among individuals aged ten years and above. The findings highlight major mobility trends across rural and urban areas.
Overview of migration trends
The 37th round of the national survey by Pakistan Bureau of Statistics includes detailed information on internal migration, duration of stay, reasons for movement and characteristics of migrant households. According to the Labour Force Survey 2024-25 document available with Wealth Pakistan, the migration section captures rural-to-urban, urban-to-rural and inter-provincial flows.
The survey defines migration as movement from one district to another or from one province to another for residence. It records the current and previous places of residence to classify individuals as migrants. Demographic information such as age, sex and education is also included, along with the proportion of migrants in the national population.
Reasons behind internal migration
The survey shows that people migrate for a wide range of reasons. These include family-related movement, employment, marriage, education and other personal or economic factors. Gender-based patterns are also evident. Women most commonly migrate due to marriage, while men more frequently move for employment. Student movement for educational reasons is also recorded across districts and provinces.
Duration of stay in current residence
The dataset includes information on how long migrants have lived at their current location. Duration categories include less than one year, one to four years, five to nine years and ten or more years. These distinctions help identify whether migration is recent or long-term. The survey also notes return migration, where individuals move back to a previous district or province after living elsewhere.
Provincial and rural–urban patterns
The Labour Force Survey presents provincial breakdowns showing both incoming and outgoing migrants. Urban centres attract a significant share of migrants due to better employment and education opportunities, although rural areas also record notable movement driven by social and livelihood-related reasons.
The dataset distinguishes between rural and urban localities and highlights how migration patterns differ between these areas. Each province shows a unique mix of internal and inter-provincial mobility.
Education and employment characteristics of migrants
The survey records the education levels of migrants, with distributions ranging from no schooling to higher education. This helps identify whether migration is more common among individuals with particular educational backgrounds.
Employment characteristics of migrants are also presented. The dataset shows the industries they work in, their employment status and their occupational categories. This helps illustrate how migrant workers are positioned in the national labour force.
Household-level migration insights
The Labour Force Survey documents the structure of migrant households. It records how many individuals within a household migrated, whether the entire household moved together or in segments and whether the household head is a migrant. These details provide insights into the dynamics of household mobility.
Survey methodology
Data for the Labour Force Survey 2024-25 was collected from 53,974 households using a stratified two-stage sampling design that covers all provinces and Islamabad. Migration information was collected through the household schedule and compiled into national and provincial indicators. The sampling framework uses the 2023 census base population with an annual growth adjustment of 2.075 percent.
Key takeaway
The migration section of the Labour Force Survey 2024-25 offers a comprehensive statistical account of internal and inter-provincial mobility in Pakistan. It documents reasons for movement, demographic profiles, duration of stay and the employment patterns of migrants across the country.
