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The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) has announced that a comprehensive National Migration Survey will be conducted between July 2026 and June 2027 under the National Sample Survey (NSS) framework. This marks the first dedicated migration-focused nationwide survey since the 64th NSS Round (2007–08) and aims to address the critical data gap that became particularly evident during the COVID-19 pandemic, when large-scale reverse migration exposed structural vulnerabilities in internal mobility systems.

Migration in India is a complex socio-economic phenomenon driven largely by employment, marriage, education, and search for better living conditions. As per the PLFS 2020–21, nearly 28.9% of India’s population were migrants. Female migration dominates in rural areas (48%), largely due to marriage, while male migration is predominantly employment-led (67%). Major flows continue to be rural-to-urban and inter-state, especially from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Odisha towards industrial centres in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Delhi, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu. Migration contributes significantly to India’s urbanisation, labour markets, and remittance-driven rural resilience, yet also presents challenges such as precarious employment, lack of social security portability, and inadequate housing in destination areas.

Objectives and Structure of the 2026 Survey

The survey will cover almost all states and union territories (excluding Andaman and Nicobar Islands due to logistical constraints). Its key objectives include generating reliable national and regional estimates of:

• Migration rates (rural-to-urban, inter-state, intra-state)
• Seasonal and short-term migration
• Socio-economic drivers (employment, education, marriage)
• Employment outcomes and earnings of migrants
• Return migration and post-migration welfare impacts

A significant conceptual revision introduced in this survey is the updated definition of short-term migration. A person staying away from the usual residence for 15 days to six months for work or job search will now be classified as a short-term migrant—compared to the earlier threshold of one to six months. This change aligns with emerging patterns of circular and temporary mobility linked to gig work, construction, and agricultural seasonality.

In contrast to earlier surveys that emphasised household migration, the new framework prioritisesindividual migration patterns, recognising that entire households rarely migrate together. The questionnaire also expands into new domains, including housing conditions, access to healthcare, local integration challenges, remittance behaviour, and intent for future relocation.

Relevance for Policy and Governance

MoSPI has emphasised that findings from the survey will inform evidence-based policymaking across multiple sectors. For urban development, migration data will support planning related to affordable housing, transportation, slum rehabilitation, and spatial infrastructure. In labour markets, such data can help identify sectoral skill shortages and improve workforce mobility. The survey will also guide the design of portable social protection frameworks, including ration cards, health insurance, pensions, and direct benefit transfers for migrant workers.

Furthermore, understanding remittance flows is crucial for rural development, as remittances bolster household consumption, education expenditure, and healthcare access. Migration data also supports regional planning by assessing demographic pressures in receiving states and labour shortages in sending areas.

Conclusion

The National Migration Survey 2026 represents a critical step in modernising India’s migration statistics architecture. By updating definitions, expanding coverage, and capturing short-term and circular migration, it will generate robust evidence to inform labour mobility policies, urbanisation strategies, and welfare systems. Importantly, it bridges a 19-year gap since the last dedicated migration survey, providing policymakers with timely data to design interventions that balance the opportunities and challenges posed by internal migration in a rapidly transforming economy.