Transitional statistics: Internal migration and urban growth in post-Soviet Estonia

• To illustrate our point, we here report the results of a study of migration patterns in one of the successor states, Estonia. We do so with a view to identifying the consequences of a change in reporting regulations and practices. To this end a survey of individual migration histories was conducted in 1997. This exercise, to the extent that it yielded a more reliable set of data than that which official statistics afford, indicates that post-Soviet migration data are little better than their Soviet-era predecessors: different but still deficient. The contrasts between our survey returns and officially reported statistics are outlined, as are the sources of divergence. As our findings indicate that something very different from that suggested by the compilations of the Estonian Statistical Office (ESO) is indeed taking place, in the end our work may provide some inputs for a more thorough understanding of how migratory flows and urbanisation processes are transformed during the transition period itself. Standard models and theories of internal migration and urban growth in Estonia have been developed. However, there remained a lack of statistical wherewithal to conduct the required kind of analysis. For instance, certain categories of migration are likely to have been underreported and it is clear that existing rules and regulations on how to report those moves that were registered were not always observed. This could be attributed to the fact that existing statistics may fail to account for the process they purposely capture. To illustrate, the authors report the results of a study of migration patterns in post-Soviet Estonia with a view of identifying the consequences of a change in reporting regulations and practices. To this end, a survey of individual migration histories was conducted in 1997. Overall, findings suggest that post-Soviet migration data are slightly improved in comparison with their Soviet-era predecessors: different but still deficient. It turns out that net domestic migratory flows are the reverse of what official statistics on registered residents suggest. The contrasts between the survey returns and the officially reported statistics are outlined, including resources of divergence. As the findings indicate that something is distinct from that suggested by the compilations of the Estonian Statistical Office is indeed taking place, this study provide some inputs for a more thorough understanding of how migratory flows and urbanization processes are transformed during the transition period itself.

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SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Ekonomi och näringsliv -- Nationalekonomi (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Economics and Business -- Economics (hsv//eng)

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