Regional migration and the dimension of distance in empirical analysis

Abstract

The phenomenon of migration is addressed by several disciplines, such as demography, sociology, economics, political science and history. Therefore, a wide range of analytical tools can be used to analyse this phenomenon. This study focuses primarily on regional migration and capturing the dimension of distance in empirical analysis. Cartograms can be used to analyse regional migration, and Webb diagrams that capture the evolution of net international and internal migration over time. It is also appropriate to use the efficiency matrix of migration indices and nodal graphs to analyse migration flows between different regions. Spatial econometrics is then important for migration analysis to test the validity of theoretical concepts of migration. However, it is often not possible to track the exact distance of migration flows in the data. Therefore, it is necessary to resort to proxy methods to determine the distance. Tracking internal migration plays a crucial role in regional development and is vital in assessing political, economic and social change. Therefore, appropriate analytical tools must be used to analyse it at the regional level.