Kerala Migration Survey

The Centre for Development Studies (CDS), Thiruvananthapuram, has been doing pioneering research on issues of international and internal migration from Kerala since mid-1980s. CDS conducted the first Kerala Migration Survey (KMS) in 1998. Since then, CDS has successfully completed 7 rounds of KMS. These surveys, conducted in 1998, 2003, 2008, 2011, 2013, 2016 and 2018 has generated a wealth of data having immense significance for Kerala.

All regions in Kerala are covered under KMS. This dataset provides disaggregated data at the taluk level in Kerala. From the 1998 survey, that covered 10,000 households, the exercise expanded to include 15,000 households in 2008 and has incorporated 25,000 households in 2018. Over the last two decades, KMS has provided estimates of emigration, return emigration, out-migration, return out-migration, remittances and average costs of migration. KMS data also provides valuable information on key aspects of Kerala society such as household composition, consumption, gender, and social groups.

Given the global lack of reliable data on migration, KMS is unique in several aspects. It is widely regarded as the first, most reliable and authentic source of data on international migration for researchers and policymakers. In 2018, it became the first exclusive migration survey series to be conducted for twenty years.

The following KMS datasets are available for download and analysis. Researchers are encouraged to download and use these datasets for their research.

How to Cite Data?
It is a healthy academic practice to provide citations of data sources used in your thesis / research papers / publications. The Centre for Development Studies expects that users of Kerala Migration Survey data should provide correct citation and acknowledgement for the data used.