Annex A. Statistical annex
A.1. Inflows of foreign population into OECD countries
B.1. Inflows of foreign population by nationality
A.2. Outflows of foreign population from selected OECD countries
Metadata relative to Tables A.1, B.1. and A.2. Inflows and outflows of foreign population
A.3. Inflows of asylum seekers into OECD countries
B.3. Inflows of asylum seekers by nationality
Metadata relative to Tables A.3. and B.3. Inflows of asylum seekers
A.4. Stocks of foreign-born population in OECD countries
B.4. Stocks of foreign-born population by country of birth
Metadata relative to Tables A.4. and B.4. Stocks of foreign-born population
A.5. Stocks of foreign population by nationality in OECD countries
B.5. Stocks of foreign population by nationality
Metadata relative to Tables A.5. and B.5. Stocks of foreign population
A.6. Acquisitions of nationality in OECD countries
B.6. Acquisitions of nationality by country of former nationality
Metadata relative to Tables A.6. and B.6. Acquisitions of nationality
Most of the data published in this annex have been provided by national correspondents of the OECD Expert Group on Migration appointed by the OECD Secretariat with the approval of the authorities of member countries. Consequently, these data are not necessarily based on common definitions. Countries under review in this annex are OECD countries for which data are available. The OECD Expert Group on Migration has no authority to impose changes in data collection procedures. It is an observatory which, by its very nature, has to use existing statistics. However, it does play an active role in suggesting what it considers to be essential improvements in data collection and makes every effort to present consistent and well-documented statistics.
The purpose of this annex is to describe the “immigrant” population (generally the foreign-born population). The information gathered concerns the flows and stocks of the total immigrant population as well as the acquisition of nationality. These data have not been standardised and are therefore not fully comparable across countries. In particular, the criteria for registering persons in population registers and the conditions for granting residence permits, for example, vary across countries, which means that measurements may differ greatly even if the same type of source is being used.
In addition to the problem of the comparability of statistics, there is the difficulty of the very partial coverage of unauthorised migrants. Part of this population may be counted in censuses. Regularisation programmes, when they exist, make it possible to identify and enumerate a far from negligible fraction of unauthorised immigrants after the fact. In terms of measurement, this makes it possible to better measure the volume of the foreign-born population at a given time, even if it is not always possible to determine the year these immigrants entered the country.
Each series in the annex is preceded by an explanatory note concerning the data presented. A summary table then follows (series A, giving the total for each destination country), and finally the tables by nationality or country of birth, as the case may be (series B). At the end of each series, a table provides the sources and notes for the data presented in the tables for each country.
The tables provide annual series covering the period 2010-20 or 2011-21.
The series A tables are presented in alphabetical order by the name of the country. In the other tables, nationalities or countries of birth are ranked by decreasing order of frequency for the last year available.
In the tables by country of origin (series B), only the 15 main countries are shown. “Other countries” is a residual calculated as the difference between the total foreign or foreign-born population and the sum for all countries indicated in the table. For some countries, data are not available for all years and this is reflected in the residual entry of “Other countries”. This must be borne in mind when interpreting changes in this category.
There is no table by nationality for the series on outflows of the foreign population (series A.2). These statistics, as well as data by gender, are available online (http://www.oecd.org/els/mig/keystat.htm).
The rounding of data cells may cause totals to differ slightly from the sum of the component cells.
The symbol “..” used in the tables means that the data are not available.
OECD countries seldom have tools specifically designed to measure the inflows and outflows of the foreign population, and national estimates are generally based either on population registers or residence permit data. This note describes more systematically what is measured by each of the sources used.
Flows derived from population registers
Population registers can usually produce inflow and outflow data for both nationals and foreigners. To register, foreigners may have to indicate possession of an appropriate residence and/or work permit valid for at least as long as the minimum registration period. Emigrants are usually identified by a stated intention to leave the country, although the period of (intended) absence is not always specified.
In population registers, departures tend to be less well recorded than arrivals. Indeed, the emigrant who plans to return to the host country in the future may be reluctant to inform about his departure to avoid losing rights related to the presence on the register. Registration criteria vary considerably across countries; in particular the minimum duration of stay for individuals to be registered ranges from three months to one year, which poses major problems of international comparisons. For example, in some countries, register data cover many temporary migrants, in some cases including asylum seekers when they live in private households (as opposed to reception centres or hostels for immigrants) and international students.
Flows derived from residence and/or work permits
Statistics on permits are generally based on the number of permits issued during a given period and depend on the types of permits used. The so-called “settlement countries” (Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States) consider as immigrants persons who have been granted the right of permanent residence, and this right is often granted upon arrival. Statistics on temporary immigrants are also published in this annex for these countries. In the case of France, the permits covered are those valid for at least one year (excluding students).
Another characteristic of permit data is that flows of nationals are not recorded. Some flows of foreigners may also not be recorded, either because the type of permit they hold is not included in the statistics or because they are not required to have a permit (freedom of movement agreements). In addition, permit data do not necessarily reflect physical flows or actual lengths of stay since: i) permits may be issued overseas but individuals may decide not to use them, or delay their arrival; ii) permits may be issued to persons who have in fact been resident in the country for some time, the permit indicating a change of status.
Flows estimated from specific surveys
Ireland provides estimates based on the results of Quarterly National Household Surveys and other sources such as permit data and asylum applications. These estimates are revised periodically on the basis of census data. One of the aims of this survey is to estimate the number and characteristics of migrants. The survey is based on a random sample of approximately one out of every 500 passengers. The figures were revised significantly following the latest census in each of these two countries, which seems to indicate that these estimates do not constitute an “ideal” source either. Australia and New Zealand also conduct passenger surveys, which enable them to establish the length of stay on the basis of migrants’ stated intentions when they enter or exit the country.
Metadata related to Tables A.1., B.1. and A.2. Inflows and outflows of foreign population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Country | Types of migrants recorded in the data | Other comments | Source |
Australia | Includes persons who are entitled to stay permanently in Australia at arrival (Settler Arrivals) as well as those who changed status from temporary to permanent residence. Settler arrivals include holders of a permanent visa, holders of a temporary (provisional) visa where there is a clear intention to settle, citizens of New Zealand indicating an intention to settle and persons otherwise eligible to settle. Outflows: People leaving Australia for 12 months or more in a 16-month period. Net Overseas Migration (NOM). | Data refer to the fiscal year (July to June of the year indicated). From 2014, figures inferior to 5 individuals are not shown. | Department of Immigration and Border Protection. |
Austria | Inflows and outflows: Foreigners holding a residence permit and who have actually stayed for at least 3 months. | Outflows include administrative corrections. | Population Registers, Statistics Austria. |
Belgium | Inflows: Foreigners holding a residence permit and intending to stay in the country for at least 3 months. Outflows: Include administrative corrections. | From 2012, asylum seekers are included in inflow and outflow data. | Population Register, Directorate for Statistics and Economic Information (DGSIE). |
Canada | Total number of people who have been granted permanent resident status in Canada. | Country of origin refers to country of last permanent residence. Due to privacy considerations, the figures have been subjected to random rounding. Under this method, all figures in the table are randomly rounded either up or down to multiples of 5. | Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. |
Chile | Total number of people who obtained a temporary visa for the first time. | Estimations for the years 2017 and 2018. | Register of residence permits, Department of Foreigners and Migration, Ministry of the Interior. |
Colombia | Inflows of all foreign nationals who entered Colombia in the given year and subsequently stayed for at least 90 days. | Migration Colombia. | |
Costa Rica | Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería | ||
Czech Republic | Inflows: Foreigners holding a permanent or a long-term residence permit (visa over 90 days) or who were granted asylum in the given year. Excludes nationals of EU countries if they intend to stay for less than 30 days in the country. Outflows: Departures of foreigners who were staying in the country on a permanent or temporary basis. | Country of origin refers to country of last permanent or temporary residence. Inflows and outflows of nationals of EU countries are likely to be underestimated. | Register of Foreigners, Czech Statistical Office. |
Denmark | Inflows: Foreigners who live legally in Denmark are registered in the Central population register, and have been living in the country for at least one year. Outflows: Include administrative corrections. | Excludes asylum seekers and all those with temporary residence permits. | Central Population Register, Statistics Denmark. |
Estonia | Inflows and outflows: Foreigners expecting to stay in the country (out of the country in the case outflows) for at least 12 months. | The number of nationals from other EU countries who are staying temporarily in the country for at least 12 months may be underestimated. | Statistics Estonia. |
Finland | Inflows and outflows: Foreign nationals with a residence permit valid for more than one year and nationals of EU countries who intend to stay in the country for more than 12 months. Nordic citizens who are moving for less than 6 months are not included. | Includes foreign persons of Finnish origin. Excludes asylum seekers and persons with temporary residence permits. Inflows and outflows of nationals of EU countries can be underestimated. | Central Population Register, Statistics Finland. |
France | Inflows of non-EU nationals are first issuances of permanent-type permits. They include status changes from a temporary-type permit to a permanent-type permit. Inflows of EU nationals included from 2013 onwards are extracted from the permanent census. | Ministry of the Interior and INSEE. | |
Germany | Inflows: Foreigners who had previously no registered address in Germany and intend to stay at least one week in the country. Outflows: Deregistrations from population registers of persons who move out of their address without taking a new address in the country and administrative deregistrations. | Includes asylum seekers living in private households. Excludes inflows of ethnic Germans (Aussiedler). In 2008, local authorities started to purge registers of inactive records. As a result, higher emigration figures were reported from this year. | Central Population Register, Federal Statistical Office. |
Greece | Inflows: Permits valid for more than 12 months delivered to third country nationals. Outflows: Departures of usual residents for a period that is, or is expected to be, of at least 12 months. | Eurostat. | |
Hungary | Inflows: Foreigners expecting to stay in the country for at least 90 days. Outflows: Foreign citizens having a residence or a settlement document and who left Hungary in the given year with no intention to return, or whose permission’s validity has expired and did not apply for a new one or whose permission was invalidated by authority due to withdrawal. From 2012 on, includes estimations. | Population Register, Office of Immigration and Nationality, Central Statistical Office. | |
Iceland | Inflows and outflows: Foreigners expecting to stay in the country (out of the country in the case outflows) for at least 12 months. | Register of Migration Data, Statistics Iceland. | |
Ireland | Inflows: The estimates derive from the quarterly National Household Survey (QNHS) and relate to those persons resident in the country at the time of the survey and who were living abroad one year earlier. Outflows: The estimates derive from the quarterly National Household Survey (QNHS) and relate to the persons who were resident in the country at a point in the previous twelve-month period who are now living abroad. | Figures for Tables A.1. and A.2. are based on May to April of the year indicated. | Central Statistics Office. |
Israel | Data refer to permanent immigrants by last country of residence. | The statistical data for Israel are supplied by and under the responsibility of the relevant Israeli authorities. The use of such data by the OECD is without prejudice to the status of the Golan Heights, East Jerusalem and Israeli settlements in the West Bank under the terms of international law. | Population register, Central Bureau of Statistics. |
Italy | Inflows and outflows: Changes of residence. | Excludes seasonal workers. Administrative corrections are made following censuses (the last census took place in 2011). | Administrative Population Register (Anagrafe) analysed by ISTAT. |
Japan | Inflows: Foreigners who entered the country, excluding temporary visitors and re-entries. Outflows: Foreigners who left Japan without re-entry permission. Excludes temporary visitors. | Ministry of Justice, Immigration Bureau. | |
Korea | Inflows and outflows: Data refer to long-term inflows/outflows (more than 90 days). | Ministry of Justice. | |
Latvia | Inflows and outflows: Long-term migration (permanent change of residence or for a period of at least one year). | Population Register, Central Statistical Office. | |
Lithuania | Inflows and outflows: Foreign citizens who have been residing in the country for at least 6 months. | Lithuanian Department of Migration. | |
Luxembourg | Inflows: Foreigners holding a residence permit and intending to stay in the country for at least 12 months. Outflows: Foreigners who left the country with the intention to live abroad for at least 12 months. | Central Population Register, Central Office of Statistics and Economic Studies (Statec). | |
Mexico | Until 2012, number of foreigners who are issued an immigrant permit for the first time ("inmigrante" FM2). 2011 and 2012 also include new and former refugees who obtained immigrant status ("inmigrado"). From 2013 on, number of foreigners who are issued a permanent residence card, as the 2011 Migration Act came into effect. | The sharp increase in the numbers of 2013 is explained by administrative changes with the implementation of the 2011 Migration Act. Most of these "new residents" are foreigners already in the country on a temporary status. | National Migration Institute, Unit for Migration Policy, Ministry of Interior. |
Netherlands | Inflows: Foreigners holding a residence permit and intending to stay in the country for at least four of the next six months. Outflows: Outflows include the "net administrative corrections", i.e. unreported emigration of foreigners. | Inflows exclude asylum seekers who are staying in reception centres. | Population Register, Central Bureau of Statistics. |
New Zealand | Inflows: Permanent and long-term arrivals to live in the country for 12 months or more. Outflows: Permanent and long-term departures: Foreign-born returning to live overseas after a stay of 12 months or more in New Zealand. | Revised series due to a change in methodology. | Statistics New Zealand. |
Norway | Inflows: Foreigners holding a residence or work permit and intending to stay in the country for at least 6 months. Include EU/EFTA foreigners. Outflows: Foreigners holding a residence or work permit and who stayed in the country for at least 6 months. | Asylum seekers are registered as immigrants only after having settled in a Norwegian municipality following a positive outcome of their application. An asylum seeker whose application has been rejected will not be registered as an ‘immigrant’, even if the application process has taken a long time and return to the home country is delayed for a significant period. | Central Population Register, Statistics Norway. |
Poland | Inflows: Number of permanent and "fixed-term" residence permits issued. Since 26 August 2006, nationals of EU member states and their family members are no longer issued residence permits. However, they still need to register their stay in Poland, provided that they are planning to stay in Poland for more than 3 months. Outflows: Departures of usual residents for a period that is, or is expected to be, of at least 12 months. | Inflows: Office for Foreigners. Outflows: Eurostat. | |
Portugal | Data based on residence permits. Following the new legislation, the data include the new residence permits delivered to every foreigner with a citizenship from an EU or non-EU country. Includes continuous regularisation. | Immigration and Border Control Office (SEF); National Statistical Institute (INE); Ministry of Foreign Affairs (before 2008). | |
Slovak Republic | Inflows and outflows: Includes permanent, temporary, and tolerated residents. | Register of Foreigners, Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic. | |
Slovenia | Eurostat. | ||
Spain | Inflows and outflows: Changes in regular residence for at least 12 months declared by foreigners. | From 2008 on, data correspond to Migration Statistics estimates that are based on the number of registrations and cancellations in the Municipal Registers by all foreigners, irrespective of their legal status. | Municipal Population Registers (Padron municipal de habitantes), National Statistical Institute (INE). |
Sweden | Inflows: Foreigners holding a residence permit and intending to stay in the country for at least one year (including nationals of EU countries). Outflows: Departures of foreigners who have the intention to live abroad for at least one year. | Excludes asylum seekers and temporary workers. | Population Register, Statistics Sweden. |
Switzerland | Inflows: Foreigners holding a permanent or an annual residence permit. Holders of an L-permit (short duration) are also included if their stay in the country is longer than 12 months. Outflows: Departures of foreigners holding a permanent or an annual residence permit and of holders of an L-permit who stayed in the country for at least one year. The data include administrative corrections, so that, for example, foreigners whose permit expired are considered to have left the country. | Register of Foreigners, Federal Office of Migration. | |
Türkiye | Inflows: Residence permits issued for the first time to foreigners intending to stay 12 months or more in the country (long-term residents). Outflows: Departures of long-term residents. | General Directorate of Security, Ministry of the Interior. | |
United Kingdom | Inflows: Non-British citizens admitted to the United Kingdom. Outflows: Non-British citizens leaving the United Kingdom. | Calculations of the Secretariat based on Home Office datasets on entry clearance visas granted outside the UK, extensions and settlement, and on the International Passenger Survey. | Managed migration datasets, Home Office, International Passenger Survey, Office for National Statistics. |
United States | Permanent migrants: Lawful Permanent Residents (LPRs) ("green card" recipients). | Includes persons already present in the United States who changed status. Certain LPRs are admitted conditionally and are required to remove their conditional status after two years; they are counted as LPRs when they first enter. Data cover the fiscal year (October to September of the year indicated). | Office of Immigration Statistics, Department of Homeland Security; Citizenship and Immigration Services, Department of Homeland Security. |
Note: Data for Serbia include persons from Serbia and Montenegro. Some statements may refer to nationalities/countries of birth not shown in this annex but available on line at: http://stats.oecd.org/. | |||
Statistics on asylum seekers published in this annex are based on data provided by Eurostat and the United Nations High Commission for Refugees. Since 1950, the UNHCR, which has a mission of conducting and co-ordinating international initiatives on behalf of refugees, has regularly produced complete statistics on refugees and asylum seekers in OECD countries and other countries of the world (https://www.unhcr.org/data.html).
These statistics are most often derived from administrative sources, but there are differences depending on the nature of the data provided. In some countries, asylum seekers are enumerated when the application is accepted. Consequently, they are shown in the statistics at that time rather than at the date when they arrived in the country. Acceptance of the application means that the administrative authorities will review the applicants’ claims and grant them certain rights during this review procedure. In other countries, the data do not include the applicants’ family members, who are admitted under different provisions (France), while other countries count the entire family (Switzerland).
The figures presented in the summary table (Table A.3) generally concern initial applications (primary processing stage) and sometimes differ significantly from the totals presented in Tables B.3, which give data by country of origin. This is because the data received by the UNHCR by country of origin combine both initial applications and appeals, and it is sometimes difficult to separate these two categories retrospectively. The reference for total asylum applications remains the figures shown in summary Table A.3.
Metadata related to Tables A.3. and B.3. Inflows of asylum seekers |
|---|
Totals in Table A.3 might differ from the tables by nationality (Tables B.3) because the former totals get revised retroactively while the origin breakdown does not. Data for Table A.3 generally refer to first instance/new applications only and exclude repeat/review/appeal applications while data by origin (Tables B.3) may include some repeat/review/appeal applications. Data by country of origin since 2014 may be slightly underestimated as they are the sum of monthly data where only cells with 5 people and above were filled. Comments on countries of asylum: France: Data include unaccompanied minors. Germany: Germany has a pre-registration system (EASY system). Asylum requests officially registered and presented in this section are lower than the pre-registrations in the EASY system (1.1 million in 2015). EU countries and United Kingdom: Figures are rounded to the nearest multiple of 5. United States: In Table B.3, data are a combination of the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS – number of cases) affirmative asylum applications, and of the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR – number of persons) defensive asylum applications, if the person is under threat of removal. Factors have been applied to totals since 2010 in both Table A.3. and Table B.3 to reflect the estimated number of cases. Comments on countries of origin: Serbia (and Kosovo): Data may include asylum seekers from Serbia, Montenegroand/or Former Yugoslavia. |
Source for all countries: European countries: Eurostat; other countries: governments, compiled by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Population Data Unit (https://popstats.unhcr.org/refugee-statistics/download/). |
Who is an immigrant?
There are major differences in how immigrants are defined across OECD countries. Some countries have traditionally focused on producing data on foreign residents (European countries, Japan and Korea), whilst others refer to the foreign-born (settlement countries, i.e. Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States). This difference in focus relates in part to the nature and history of immigration systems and legislation on citizenship and naturalisation.
The foreign-born population can be viewed as representing first-generation migrants, and may consist of both foreign and national citizens. The size and composition of the foreign-born population is influenced by the history of migration flows and mortality amongst the foreign-born. For example, where inflows have been declining over time, the stock of the foreign-born will tend to age and represent an increasingly established community.
The concept of foreign population may include persons born abroad who retained the nationality of their country of origin but also second and third generations born in the host country. The characteristics of the population of foreign nationals depend on a number of factors: the history of migration flows, natural increase in the foreign population and naturalisations. Both the nature of legislation on citizenship and the incentives to naturalise play a role in determining the extent to which native-born persons may or may not be foreign nationals.
Sources for and problems in measuring the immigrant population
Four types of sources are used: population registers, residence permits, labour force surveys and censuses. In countries which have a population register and in those which use residence permit data, stocks and flows of immigrants are most often calculated using the same source. There are exceptions, however, with some countries using census or labour force survey data to estimate the stock of the immigrant population. In studying stocks and flows, the same problems are encountered whether population register or permit data are used (in particular, the risk of underestimation when minors are registered on the permit of one of the parents or if the migrants are not required to have permits because of a free movement agreement). To this must be added the difficulty of purging the files regularly to remove the records of persons who have left the country.
Census data enable comprehensive, albeit infrequent analysis of the stock of immigrants (censuses are generally conducted every five to ten years). In addition, many labour force surveys now include questions about nationality and place of birth, thus providing a source of annual stock data. The OECD produces estimates of stocks for some countries.
Some care has to be taken with detailed breakdowns of the immigrant population from survey data since sample sizes can be small. Both census and survey data may underestimate the number of immigrants because they can be missed in the census or because they do not live in private households (labour force surveys may not cover those living in collective dwelling such as reception centres and hostels for immigrants). Both these sources may cover a portion of the unauthorised population, which is by definition excluded from population registers and residence permit systems.
Metadata related to Tables A.4. and B.4. Stocks of foreign-born population | ||
|---|---|---|
Country | Comments | Source |
Australia | ® Estimated residential population. Reference date: 30 June. | Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). |
Austria | ® Stock of foreign-born residents recorded in the population register. Reference date: 1 January. | Population Register, Statistics Austria. |
Belgium | ® From 2011 on, includes persons who have lived in Belgium for a continuous period of at least 12 months and persons who arrived in Belgium less than 12 months before the reference time with the intention of staying there for at least one year; also includes asylum seekers. Up to 2010, includes persons whose main place of residence is in Belgium and who are registered in a municipality (aliens' register or register of aliens with a privileged status or register of European Union officials) so excludes asylum seekers, persons who have been residing in the Belgian territory for less than three months or are in an irregular situation. The series include breaks in 2011 and in 2012, and data for the year 2019 are provisional. | Population Register, Eurostat. |
Canada | ® 2011: National Household Survey. The foreign-born population covers all persons who are or have ever been a landed immigrant/permanent resident in Canada. The foreign-born population does not include non-permanent residents, on employment or student authorizations, or who are refugee claimants. ® 2016: 2016 Census, 25% sample data. ɛ PM for other years. | Statistics Canada. |
Chile | ® Up to 2017: register of residence permits. ɛ From 2018 on: estimates for the total and for selected countries. | Department of Foreigners and Migration, Ministry of the Interior and Public Security. |
Czech Republic | ® 2011 Census. ɛ CM for other years. In table B4, data broken down by nationality from 2012 to 2021 are from Eurostat (permanent residents only). | Czech Statistical Office, Eurostat. |
Denmark | ® Immigrants according to the national definition, e.g. persons born abroad to parents both foreigner or born abroad. When no information is available on the parents' nationality/country of birth, foreign-born persons are classified as immigrants. | Statistics Denmark. |
Estonia | ® National population register. | Ministry of the Interior. |
Finland | ® Population register. Includes foreign-born persons of Finnish origin. | Central Population Register, Statistics Finland. |
France | ® From 2006 on, annual censuses. From 2016 on estimated totals are based on Eurostat data. Includes the département of Mayotte from 2014. Includes persons who were born French abroad. | National Institute for Statistics and Economic Studies (INSEE). |
Germany | ® 2011 Census. ɛ Other years, estimation based on the 2011 census. Up to 2016, data refers to country of citizenship or former citizenship; from 2017 on, it refers to country of birth. Includes ethnic Germans (Aussiedler). Excludes people in shared/community accommodation. | Federal Statistical Office. |
Greece | ® Totals in Table A.4 (Eurostat dataset) are not comparable to data presented in Table B.4 by country of birth (Labour Force Survey data, foreign-born population aged 15 and above; 4th quarter prior to 2014; 2nd quarter from 2014 on). | Eurostat and Hellenic Statistical authority. |
Hungary | ® From 2010 on, includes third-country nationals holding a temporary residence permit (for a year or more). From 2011 on, includes persons under subsidiary protection. Data for 2011 were adjusted to match the October census results. Reference date: 1 January. | Office of Immigration and Nationality; Central Office Administrative and Electronic Public Services (Central Population Register); Central Statistical Office. |
Iceland | ® National population register. Numbers from the register are likely to be overestimated. Reference date: 1 January. | Statistics Iceland. |
Ireland | ® 2011 and 2016 Censuses. Persons usually resident and present in their usual residence on census night. ɛ PM for other years. | Central Statistics Office. |
Israel | ® Estimates are based on the results of the Population Censuses and on the changes that occurred in the population after the Censuses, as recorded in the Population Register. They include Jews and foreign-born members of other religions (usually family members of Jewish immigrants). The statistical data for Israel are supplied by and under the responsibility of the relevant Israeli authorities. The use of such data by the OECD is without prejudice to the status of the Golan Heights, East Jerusalem and Israeli settlements in the West Bank under the terms of international law. | Central Bureau of Statistics. |
Italy | ® Population register. From 2019 on, the data on foreign resident population takes into account the results of the permanent population census. Reference date: 1 January. | National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT). |
Latvia | ® Population register. Reference date: 1 January. | Central Statistical Office. |
Lithuania | Reference date: 1 January. | Department of Migration. |
Luxembourg | ® 2011: Census. ɛ CM for other years. | Central Office of Statistics and Economic Studies (Statec). |
Mexico | ® 2010 census; 2015 Intercensal Survey. ɛ Other years, estimation from the National Survey on Occupation and Employment (ENOE). | National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI). |
Netherlands | ® Reference date: 1 January. | Population register, Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS). |
New Zealand | ® 2013 and 2018 Censuses. ɛ PM for other years. | Statistics New Zealand. |
Norway | ® Reference date: 1 January. | Central Population Register, Statistics Norway. |
Poland | ® 2011 Census. Excluding foreign temporary residents who, at the time of the census, had been staying at a given address in Poland for less than 12 months. Country of birth in accordance with administrative boundaries at the time of the census. From 2012 on, estimates based on Eurostat data. | Central Statistical Office and Eurostat. |
Portugal | ® 2011 census. From 2012 on, estimates based on Eurostat data. | National Statistical Institute (INE). |
Slovak Republic | ® Population Register. | Ministry of the Interior. |
Slovenia | Eurostat. | |
Spain | ® Population register. Foreign-born recorded in the Municipal Registers irrespective of their legal status. Reference date: 1 January. | Municipal Registers, National Statistics Institute (INE). |
Sweden | ® Reference date: 1 January. | Population Register, Statistics Sweden. |
Switzerland | ® Population Register of the Confederation. ɛ CM for other years. | Federal Statistical Office. |
Türkiye | Ministry of Labour and Social Security. | |
United Kingdom | ® Until 2019: Foreign-born residents in the Labour Force Survey. 2020: Estimates from the Annual Population Survey. | Office for National Statistics. |
United States | ® Includes persons who are naturalised and persons who are in an unauthorised status. Excludes children born abroad to US citizen parents. Break in series in 2020: for 2020 and 2021, CPS instead of ACS. | American Community Survey and Current Population Survey, Census Bureau. |
Notes: ® Observed figures. ɛ Estimates (in italic) made by means of the complement method (CM) or the parametric method (PM). No estimate is made by country of birth (Tables B.4). Data for Serbia include persons from Serbia and Montenegro. Some statements may refer to nationalities/countries of birth not shown in this annex but available on line at: http://stats.oecd.org/. | ||
Metadata related to Tables A.5. and B.5. Stocks of foreign population | ||
|---|---|---|
Country | Comments | Source |
Austria | Stock of foreign citizens recorded in the population register. Reference date: 1 January. | Population Register, Statistics Austria. |
Belgium | From 2011 on, includes foreigners who have lived in Belgium for a continuous period of at least 12 months and persons who arrived in Belgium less than 12 months before the reference time with the intention of staying there for at least one year; also includes asylum seekers. Up to 2010, includes foreigners whose main place of residence is in Belgium and who are registered in a municipality (aliens' register or register of aliens with a privileged status or register of European Union officials) so excludes asylum seekers, persons who have been residing in the Belgian territory for less than three months or are in an irregular situation. The series include breaks in 2011 and in 2012, and data for the year 2019 are provisional. Reference date: 1 January. | Population Register, Eurostat. |
Canada | 2011 and 2016 Censuses. | Statistics Canada. |
Chile | Estimation of the resident foreign population in the 2017 Census. | |
Czech Republic | Numbers of foreigners residing in the country on the basis of permanent or temporary residence permits (i.e. long-term visa, long-term residence permit or temporary residence permit of EU nationals). Reference date: 1 January. | Ministry of the Interior, Directorate of Alien Police. |
Denmark | Stock of foreign citizens recorded in the population register. Excludes asylum seekers and all persons with temporary residence permits. Reference date: 1 January. | Central Population Register, Statistics Denmark. |
Estonia | Population register. Reference date: 1 January. | Ministry of the Interior. |
Finland | Stock of foreign citizens recorded in the population register. Includes foreign persons of Finnish origin. Reference date: 1 January. | Central Population Register, Statistics Finland. |
France | Foreigners with permanent residence in France. Including trainees, students and illegal migrants who accept to be interviewed. Excluding seasonal and cross-border workers. 2018 to 2021 totals are estimated based on INSEE data. Includes the département of Mayotte from 2014. | Censuses, National Institute for Statistics and Economic Studies (INSEE). |
Germany | Stock of foreign citizens recorded in the population register. Includes all foreigners regardless of their housing situation (private or non-private dwelling). Excludes ethnic Germans (Aussiedler). Reference date: 1 January. | Central Population Register, Federal Office of Statistics. |
Greece | Estimated population by group of citizenship. Reference date: 1 January. | Hellenic Statistical authority. |
Hungary | Foreigners having a residence or a settlement document. From 2010 on, includes third-country nationals holding a temporary residence permit (for a year or more). From 2012 on, includes persons under subsidiary protection. Data for 2011 were adjusted to match the October census results. Reference date: 1 January. | Office of Immigration and Nationality, Central Statistical Office. |
Iceland | Data are from the National Register of Persons. It is to be expected that figures are overestimates. Reference date: 1 January. | Statistics Iceland. |
Ireland | Census data for 2011 and 2016. | Central Statistics Office (CSO). |
Italy | Data refer to resident foreigners (registered in municipal registry offices). Excludes children under 18 who are registered on their parents' permit. Includes foreigners who were regularised following the 2009 programme. From 2019 on, the data takes into account the results of the permanent population census. Reference date: 1 January. | National Statistical Institute (ISTAT). |
Japan | Foreigners staying in Japan for the mid- to long-term with a resident status under the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act. Reference date: 1 January. | Ministry of Justice, Immigration Bureau. |
Korea | Foreigners staying in Korea more than 90 days and registered in the population registers. Includes foreign residents, ethnic Koreans holding a F-4 visa, and illegal stayers with short-term visas (under the unknown citizenship category). | Ministry of Justice. |
Latvia | Population register. Reference date: 1 January. | Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs. |
Lithuania | Reference date: 1 January. | Department of Migration. |
Luxembourg | Stock of foreign citizens recorded in population register. Excludes visitors (staying for less than 3 months) and cross-border workers. Reference date: 1 January. 2010 figures are extracted from the February 2011 census. | Population Register, Central Office of Statistics and Economic Studies (Statec). |
Mexico | Number of foreigners who hold a valid permit for permanent or temporary residence. Data until 2013 are estimates under the terms of the 1974 Act; they include immigrants FM2 "inmigrante" and "inmigrado" (boths categories refer to permanent residence) and non-immigrants FM3 with specific categories (temporary residence). Data from 2015 are estimates under the terms of the 2011 Migration Act. | National Migration Institute, Unit for Migration Policy, Ministry of Interior. |
Netherlands | Stock of foreign citizens recorded in the population register. Figures include administrative corrections and asylum seekers (except those staying in reception centres). Reference date: 1 January. | Population Register, Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS). |
Norway | Stock of foreign citizens recorded in the population register. It excludes visitors (staying for less than six months) and cross-border workers. Reference date: 1 January. | Central Population Register, Statistics Norway. |
Poland | Central Population Register, Central Statistical Office. | |
Portugal | Figures include holders of a valid residence permit and holders of a renewed long-term visa. | Immigration and Border Control Office (SEF); National Statistical Institute (INE). |
Slovak Republic | Holders of a permanent or long-term residence permit. | Register of Foreigners, Ministry of the Interior. |
Slovenia | Number of valid residence permits, regardless of the administrative status of the foreign national. Reference date: 1 January. | Central Population Register, Ministry of the Interior. |
Spain | All foreign citizens in the Municipal Registers irrespective of their legal status. Reference date: 1 January. | Municipal Registers, National Statistics Institute (INE). |
Sweden | Stock of foreign citizens recorded in the population register. Reference date: 1 January. | Population Register, Statistics Sweden. |
Switzerland | Stock of all those with residence or settlement permits (permits B and C, respectively). Holders of an L-permit (short duration) are also included if their stay in the country is longer than 12 months. Does not include seasonal or cross-border workers. Reference date: 1 January. | Register of Foreigners, Federal Office of Migration. |
Türkiye | Reference date: 1 January. | Eurostat. |
United Kingdom | Foreign residents. Those with unknown nationality from the New Commonwealth are not included (around 10 000 to 15 000 persons). Reference date: 1 January. | Labour Force Survey, Home Office. |
United States | Foreigners born abroad. | Current Population Survey, Census Bureau. |
Note: Data for Serbia include persons from Serbia, Montenegro and Serbia and Montenegro. Some statements may refer to nationalities/countries of birth not shown in this annex but available on line at: http://stats.oecd.org/. | ||
Nationality law can have a significant impact on the measurement of the national and foreign populations. In France and Belgium, for example, where foreigners can fairly easily acquire the nationality of the country, increases in the foreign population through immigration and births can eventually contribute to a significant rise in the population of nationals. On the other hand, in countries where naturalisation is more difficult, increases in immigration and births among foreigners manifest themselves almost exclusively as growth in the foreign population. In addition, changes in rules regarding naturalisation can have significant impact. For example, during the 1980s, a number of OECD countries made naturalisation easier and this resulted in noticeable falls in the foreign population (and rises in the population of nationals).
However, host-country legislation is not the only factor affecting naturalisation. For example, where naturalisation involves forfeiting citizenship of the country of origin, there may be incentives to remain a foreign citizen. Where the difference between remaining a foreign citizen and becoming a national is marginal, naturalisation may largely be influenced by the time and effort required to make the application, and the symbolic and political value individuals attach to being citizens of one country or another.
Data on naturalisations are usually readily available from administrative sources. The statistics generally cover all means of acquiring the nationality of a country. These include standard naturalisation procedures subject to criteria such as age or residency, etc., as well as situations where nationality is acquired through a declaration or by option (following marriage, adoption or other situations related to residency or descent), recovery of former nationality and other special means of acquiring the nationality of the country.
Metadata related to Tables A.6. and B.6. Acquisitions of nationality | ||
|---|---|---|
Country | Comments | Source |
Australia | Data from 2007 to 2010 are based on the former Reporting Assurance Section. Data from 2011 are sourced from Citizenship Programme Management. From 2014, figures inferior to 5 individuals are not shown. | Department of Immigration and Border Protection. |
Austria | Data refer to persons living in Austria at the time of acquisition. | Statistics Austria and BMI (Ministry of the Interior). |
Belgium | Data refer to all acquisitions of Belgian nationality, irrespective of the type of procedure. Data only take into account those residing in Belgium at the time of the acquisition. | Directorate for Statistics and Economic Information (DGSEI) and Ministry of Justice. |
Canada | Data refer to country of birth, not to country of previous nationality. Persons who acquire Canadian citizenship may also hold other citizenships at the same time if allowed by the country of previous nationality. | Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. |
Chile | Register of residence permits. | Department of Foreigners and Migration, Ministry of the Interior. |
Czech Republic | Acquisitions of nationality by declaration or by naturalisation. | Ministry of the Interior. |
Denmark | The decrease in 2013 can be explained by the change in the naturalisation conditions that year. | Statistics Denmark. |
Estonia | Acquisitions of citizenship by naturalisation. | Police and Border Guard Board. |
Finland | Includes naturalisations of persons of Finnish origin. | Central Population Register, Statistics Finland. |
France | Ministry of the Interior and Ministry of Justice. | |
Germany | Figures do not include ethnic Germans (Aussiedler). From 2018 on, figures are rounded to the nearest multiple of five. | Federal Office of Statistics. |
Greece | Data refer to all possible types of citizenship acquisition: naturalisation, declaration (for Greek descents), adoption by a Greek, etc. | Ministry of Interior and Administrative Reconstruction. |
Hungary | Person naturalised in Hungary: naturalisation (the person was born foreign) or renaturalisation (his/her former Hungarian citizenship was abolished). The rules of naturalisation in Hungary were modified by the Act XLIV of 2010. The act introduced the simplified naturalisation procedure from 1 January 2011, and made it possible to obtain citizenship without residence in Hungary for the foreign citizens who have Hungarian ancestors. This data refer only to those new Hungarian citizens who have an address in Hungary. | Central Office Administrative and Electronic Public Services (Central Population Register), Central Statistical Office. |
Iceland | Includes children who receive Icelandic citizenship with their parents. | Statistics Iceland. |
Ireland | Figures include naturalisations and post nuptial citizenship figures. | Department of Justice and Equality. |
Italy |
| Ministry of the Interior. |
Japan |
| Ministry of Justice, Civil Affairs Bureau. |
Korea |
| Ministry of Justice. |
Latvia | Acquisition of citizenship by naturalisation including children who receive Latvian citizenship with their parents. | Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs. |
Lithuania | Eurostat. | |
Luxembourg | Includes non-residents. Excludes children acquiring nationality as a consequence of the naturalisation of their parents. | Ministry of Justice. |
Mexico |
| Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SRE). |
Netherlands |
| Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS). |
New Zealand | Before 2016, the country of origin refers to the country of birth if birth documentation is available (if not, the country of origin is the country of citizenship as shown on the person's passport). | Department of Internal Affairs. |
Norway | The statistics are based on population register data. | Statistics Norway. |
Poland | Data include naturalisations by marriage and acknowledgment of persons of Polish descent, in addition to naturalisation by ordinary procedure. | Office for Repatriation and Aliens. |
Portugal | Acquisition of nationality by foreigners living in Portugal. | Institute of registers and notarial regulations, Directorate General for Justice Policy (DGPJ). |
Slovak Republic | Data refer to persons living in Slovak Republic at the time of acquisition. | Ministry of the Interior. |
Slovenia | Include all grounds on which the citizenship was obtained. | Internal Administrative Affairs, Migration and Naturalisation Directorate, Ministry of the Interior. |
Spain | Includes only naturalisations on the ground of residence in Spain. Excludes individuals recovering their former (Spanish) nationality. The large increase in the number of naturalisations in 2013 is due to the Intensive File Processing Nationality Plan (Plan Intensivo de tramitación de expedientes de Nacionalidad) carried out by the Ministry of Justice. | Ministry of Employment and Social Security, based on naturalisations registered by the Ministry of Justice. |
Sweden |
| Statistics Sweden. |
Switzerland |
| Federal Office of Migration. |
Türkiye | General Directorate for population and citizenship, Ministry of the Interior. | |
United Kingdom | The increase in 2009 is partly due to the processing of a backlog of applications filled prior to 2009. | Home Office. |
United States | Data by country of birth refer to fiscal years (October to September of the year indicated). | Department of Homeland Security. |
Note: Data for Serbia include persons from Serbia and Montenegro. Some statements may refer to nationalities/countries of birth not shown in this annex but available on line at: http://stats.oecd.org/. | ||
This document, as well as any data and map included herein, are without prejudice to the status of or sovereignty over any territory, to the delimitation of international frontiers and boundaries and to the name of any territory, city or area. Extracts from publications may be subject to additional disclaimers, which are set out in the complete version of the publication, available at the link provided.
© OECD 2022
The use of this work, whether digital or print, is governed by the Terms and Conditions to be found at https://www.oecd.org/termsandconditions.