SHAPING THE FUTURE HOW CHANGING DEMOGRAPHICS CAN POWER HUMAN DEVELOPMENT

TABLE 1.5:
Countries in Asia-Pacific tend to lose people through migration
Migration flow (in ‘000) during 2005-2010
34
Diversity in stages
of demographic
transition can help
drive migration
Source: Wittgenstein Centre for Demography and Global Human Capital 2014.
more people through international emigration
than they gained from immigration (Table 1.5).
Migrants tend to be younger and in their
working years. Many leave families at home
while pursuing work abroad, potentially contributing
to a higher share of children and older
dependents in source countries, as has been the
case in Nepal and the Philippines. Nearly half
the migrants from the region are women involved
in domestic and care work in Persian Gulf
and Western countries, and other high-income
countries of East Asia and South-east Asia. 40
Around 43 percent of total migration in
Asia-Pacific takes places within the region, 41
with the high-income economies of East Asia
and South-east Asia drawing people from South
Asia and poorer countries in South-east Asia.
South-east Asia is a net migrant exporter largely
from Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao People’s
Democratic Republic, Myanmar, Philippines
and Viet Nam, while countries such as Brunei
Darussalam, Malaysia and Singapore are migrant
recipients. 42 Despite popular belief, migration
in the region is not only from low-income to
high-income countries. A significant degree
takes place between countries at similar income
levels, such as between Indonesia and Malaysia. 43
Temporary migration for employment constitutes
the major form in the region. Women
comprise 48 percent of migrants overall, but
ranging from more than half in high-income
countries and areas such as Australia; Hong
Kong, China (SAR); Japan; New Zealand and
Singapore, to less than 20 percent in least developed
countries such as Bangladesh and Bhutan.
With domestic work typically perceived
as women’s work, women make up most of the
migrants in these jobs in high-income countries.
Besides disparities in income, a key driver
of movement within the region is ageing in
some recipient countries, a trend that may grow
in the future, including through demand for
workers to care for elderly dependents. Ageing
countries are opening doors with work visas to