MIG focuses on applying advanced data collection and estimation methods to quantify and better understand the trends, patterns, drivers, and consequences of different types of migration considering its interactions with the social, economic, and environmental dimensions of sustainable development.

Migration is a key demographic component underlying population change, but it is also the most volatile and difficult to forecast, thus requiring innovative data and methods to circumvent the difficulty in estimating and predicting future migration. The novel approaches employed by the MIG Group allows for the production of comprehensive estimates of internal and international migration and its drivers at the global, national, and sub-national level. The group’s research provides comprehensive insight into the social, economic, and environmental drivers of migration considering changes and interactions between the drivers. In particular, the group focuses on investigating the direct and indirect pathways through which environmental changes influence internal and international migration and how the effects vary across geographical locations and population subgroups.

Models, tools, datasets

World population

Wittgenstein Centre Human Capital Data Explorer (WCDE)

Projects

Hand die durch die Wand bricht

Future Migration Scenarios for Europe (FUME)

Silo in a sunflower field

BALancing humAn and Natural resource use for Circular bioEconomy (BALANCE)

Path

Just Transitions to Net-Zero Carbon Emissions for All (JustTrans4ALL)

Staff

Gregor Zens profile picture

Gregor Zens

Research Scholar (MIG)

No image available

Marion Borderon

Guest Research Scholar (MIG)

Dilek Yildiz profile picture

Dilek Yildiz

Research Scholar (MDM, MIG)

Orlando Olaya Bucaro profile picture

Orlando Olaya Bucaro

Researcher (MIG)

News

world map made up of immigration stamps

24 January 2023

How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected immigration?

New research finds a high variation between how pandemic mitigation measures affected immigration to different destination countries, from a slight increase to huge reductions.
Empty Classroom In Elementary School With Whiteboard And Desks

24 November 2022

How COVID-19 school closures will affect inequalities in adult skills

School closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic affected learning to varying degrees in different countries. A new study sheds light on what this learning loss will mean for countries' human capital in the decades to come.
Studienstiftung

28 September 2022

Demography matters: the human life from birth to death

IIASA researchers participate in a seminar titled "Demography matters: the human life from birth to death", organized by Vienna Institute of Demography and Wittgenstein Centre.

Events

Focus

28 November 2022

Standardizing migration data in Europe

Options Magazine, Winter 2022: Researchers illustrated the discrepancies in migration flow statistics across Europe to help standardize data and better understand migration patterns.
Regional impacts

07 September 2022

The migration maze

To navigate the intricate intersection of climate change, migration, and urbanization, we need a holistic approach.
Family stranded on island during flooding in the delta Bangladesh due to climate change

11 July 2022

Fertile feedback

IIASA research shows that increasing access to clean energy can rein in population growth, and so reduce future energy needs. Another study finds that falling fertility does not have to be bad news for economies.
Population. Different multiethnic people of different ages. Groups of families.