Goal
To explore and understand global migration trends through data analysis, focusing on distribution patterns, impacts on populations, and gender dynamics among international migrants.
Dataset
The data is the 'International Migrant Stock: The 2015 Revision' from the United Nations, contains detailed information on international migrant stock from 1990 to 2015. It encompasses six spreadsheets with 10-22 columns and over 5000 rows each, providing a comprehensive overview of global migration patterns. It includes data on world population, international migrant stock, percentage of migrant stock in total population, gender distribution of migrants, and refugee stock.
What I Did
Data Cleaning and Manipulation
- Utilised the tidy data framework for systematic data cleaning and manipulation.
- Applied Python libraries Pandas for data structuring and NumPy for numerical computations.
- Performed format transformations, removed spaces in numerical columns, and handled missing values, ensuring data integrity.
Exploratory Data Analysis (EDA):
- Conducted a comprehensive EDA to uncover migration trends and patterns.
- Employed Python’s Matplotlib and Seaborn libraries for data visualization.
- Created specific plot types to enhance data interpretation:
- Scatter Plots: To observe relationships and distributions.
- Line Plots: For analyzing trends over time.
- Box Plots and Violin Plots: To visualize data spread and density.
Major Findings
- International Migrant Stock Growth: There was a 200% increase in the absolute number of international migrant stock from 1990 to 2015.
- Migrant Stock as a Percentage of Population: This metric has been relatively steady, with a more significant increase noted between 2005 and 2010.
- Shifts in Top Migration Destinations: While the USA remains the most popular destination, other countries, including Germany, have risen in popularity. Additionally, southern European cities and oil-producing nations in the Middle East are emerging as new popular destinations.
- Importance of Migrants in Developed Countries: In developed countries, international migrants play a crucial role in balancing demographic and labor market needs, as seen in Australia and New Zealand.
- Refugee Imbalance: The refugee population is more concentrated in developing countries, highlighting a global challenge in supporting refugees.
This project offers insights into the dynamics of international migration and highlights key areas for further research and policy development.