Reason behind different codes used for migctry 1, 5, 0, P, and C

INTERNATIONAL
1

Dear IPUMS International team (or whoever could clarify this),

Could you please help me learn why different country codes are used for the migration variables referring to residence in 1, 5, 10 years before or previous residence (p) or previous census (c), i.e., migctry 1, 5, 0, P, and C?

For example, the numeric code ‘11040‘, is used for “Eritrea“ in the case of ‘MIGCTRY1’, ‘MIGCTRY5‘, ‘MIGCTRY0‘, and ‘‘MIGCTRYP’', but in ‘MIGCTRYC’ it is used for “Ger, Bel, Den, Ire, GB, Lux“ and I wonder why?

I think I have spotted a few other similar examples specially for the “other” and similar categories and would appreciate any guidance about it, thanks a lot for your great work.

Kind regards,

Akbaritabar, MPIDR, Rostock, Germany

2

Here I am going to add more examples on the inconsistencies I found by pairwise comparing:
Please note that I am comparing the labeles used for location/country names and even a small spelling error is found as non-matching.

“migctry0” versus “migctry1“

ipums_y0_code = 15150
resid_y0_name = Cape Verde
ipums_y1_code = 15150
resid_y1_name = Senegal

ipums_y0_code = 21210
resid_y0_name = St. John
ipums_y1_code = 21210
resid_y1_name = St. Jon

ipums_y0_code = 21240
resid_y0_name = St. Vincent and the Grenadines
ipums_y1_code = 21240
resid_y1_name = St. Vincent

ipums_y0_code = 23991
resid_y0_name = Central and Latin America
ipums_y1_code = 23991
resid_y1_name = Central and South America

ipums_y0_code = 24040
resid_y0_name = Saint Pierre and Miquelon
ipums_y1_code = 24040
resid_y1_name = United States

ipums_y0_code = 24999
resid_y0_name = U.S.A, Canada, Mexico
ipums_y1_code = 24999
resid_y1_name = North America, n.s.

ipums_y0_code = 41999
resid_y0_name = Eastern Europe, n.s.
ipums_y1_code = 41999
resid_y1_name = Eastern Europe, n.e.c.

ipums_y0_code = 43030
resid_y0_name = Bosnia
ipums_y1_code = 43030
resid_y1_name = Bosnia and Herzegovina

ipums_y0_code = 60000
resid_y0_name = OTHER, unspecified or unclassifiable
ipums_y1_code = 60000
resid_y1_name = Other

ipums_y0_code = 90000
resid_y0_name = Non-migrants (International)
ipums_y1_code = 90000
resid_y1_name = Non-migrant (international)

“migctry0” versus “migctry5“

ipums_y0_code = 15150
resid_y0_name = Cape Verde
ipums_y5_code = 15150
resid_y5_name = Senegal

ipums_y0_code = 21240
resid_y0_name = St. Vincent and the Grenadines
ipums_y5_code = 21240
resid_y5_name = St. Vincent

ipums_y0_code = 24040
resid_y0_name = Saint Pierre and Miquelon
ipums_y5_code = 24040
resid_y5_name = United States

ipums_y0_code = 24999
resid_y0_name = U.S.A, Canada, Mexico
ipums_y5_code = 24999
resid_y5_name = North or Central America, n.s.

ipums_y0_code = 41999
resid_y0_name = Eastern Europe, n.s.
ipums_y5_code = 41999
resid_y5_name = Eastern Europe, n.e.c.

ipums_y0_code = 43143
resid_y0_name = Serbia and Montenegro
ipums_y5_code = 43143
resid_y5_name = Kosovo

ipums_y0_code = 44021
resid_y0_name = Belgium/Luxemburg
ipums_y5_code = 44021
resid_y5_name = Belgium/Luxembourg

ipums_y0_code = 44022
resid_y0_name = Benelux (Belgium/Netherlands/Luxemburg)
ipums_y5_code = 44022
resid_y5_name = Benelux (Belgium/Netherlands/Luxembourg)

ipums_y0_code = 60000
resid_y0_name = OTHER, unspecified or unclassifiable
ipums_y5_code = 60000
resid_y5_name = Other

“migctry0” versus “migctryp“

ipums_y0_code = 32041
resid_y0_name = India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka
ipums_yp_code = 32041
resid_yp_name = India/Pakistan

ipums_y0_code = 60000
resid_y0_name = OTHER, unspecified or unclassifiable
ipums_yp_code = 60000
resid_yp_name = Other

“migctry0” versus “migctryc“

ipums_y0_code = 11040
resid_y0_name = Eritrea
ipums_yc_code = 11040
resid_yc_name = Ger, Bel, Den, Ire, GB, Lux

ipums_y0_code = 15150
resid_y0_name = Cape Verde
ipums_yc_code = 15150
resid_yc_name = Senegal

ipums_y0_code = 21240
resid_y0_name = St. Vincent and the Grenadines
ipums_yc_code = 21240
resid_yc_name = St. Vincent

ipums_y0_code = 24040
resid_y0_name = Saint Pierre and Miquelon
ipums_yc_code = 24040
resid_yc_name = United States

ipums_y0_code = 24999
resid_y0_name = U.S.A, Canada, Mexico
ipums_yc_code = 24999
resid_yc_name = North or Central America, n.s.

ipums_y0_code = 41999
resid_y0_name = Eastern Europe, n.s.
ipums_yc_code = 41999
resid_yc_name = Eastern Europe, n.e.c.

ipums_y0_code = 44021
resid_y0_name = Belgium/Luxemburg
ipums_yc_code = 44021
resid_yc_name = Belgium/Luxembourg

ipums_y0_code = 44022
resid_y0_name = Benelux (Belgium/Netherlands/Luxemburg)
ipums_yc_code = 44022
resid_yc_name = Benelux (Belgium/Netherlands/Luxembourg)

3

Thank you for flagging that these variables use the same code to sometimes refer to different places. We strive to implement consistent coding across the migration variables. Within each variable, the labels should correctly define the reported code. We will review these variables to check for consistent coding across them and try to catch any spelling differences as well.

4

Thank you very much for your kind reply and clarification.

My main worry is that I might mix up migration flows calculated for specific locations with others as I use all these 1, 5, 10, C, and P residences to calculate flows and compare them.

For instance, these two regions have substantially different flows:

ipums_y0_code = 24040
resid_y0_name = Saint Pierre and Miquelon
ipums_y1_code = 24040
resid_y1_name = United States

I look forward to hearing from you on how/which regions to combine or separate, and thanks a lot for your great work in providing IPUMS.

5

The IPUMS International team has reviewed the discrepancies that you reported and applied a consistent coding system that will be implemented in the next data release. The team also discovered that some observations with MIGCTRY0 = 15150 (“Cape Verde”) combined persons who reported migrating from Senegal together with those from Cape Verde. This only affects MIGCTRY0 for the Spain 2001 and 2011 samples (265 cases in 2001 and 902 cases in 2011 that responded “Senegal” but were incorrectly coded as “Cape Verde”).

Until the fix is released, you may use the source variable ES2011A_RES10CTRY in 2011 to distinguish between those who lived in Senegal and those who lived in Cape Verde ten years prior to the census. We can share with you an extract with the fixed MIGCTRY0 variable for Spain 2001 (and 2011), if you need to update your analysis before we complete our upcoming data release. In all other cases, the labels correctly define the reported code and there is no need to combine or separate any regions.

6

Thank you, dear Ivan Strahof, for your clarification. It is wonderful to hear the next data export will fix all these, thanks to your team’s work.

Yes, I would appreciate it if the data extract could be shared with me. My user account in the IPUMS system uses this email address: “akbaritabar@demogr.mpg.de”.