Page 18 - IJPS-10-3

International Journal of
Population Studies The use of multiregional life tables in Italy

as preventing brain drain migration (especially from the during COVID-19 pandemic. Migrations between
south to the other Italian’s macroregions). Furthermore, the macroregions decreased due to the COVID-19 pandemic
results highlight the importance of collecting information (Istat, 2023). The most important internal migration
on the birthplace of those migrating, as well as considering trajectory has remained the one originating in the south
the origin and destination (residence) of migration of Italy. However, compared to pre-COVID-19 years,
trajectories. Since the migrant’s place of birth opens up migration from the south to the center-north decreased
new frontiers in the analysis of internal migration, this by approximately 17 percentage points. In other words, in
variable should also be included in other types of analysis Italy, as in other European countries, the pandemic had the
such as gravity models or statistical inference to explore effect of decreasing internal migration (González-Leonardo
the weight, direction, and role played by this important et al., 2022). In the pandemic years, there was also a slight
variable in the internal migrations of different European increase in internal migration from the north to the south
countries. of Italy. With our proposed approach, it would be possible
to study whether the migrations to the south are returns
The results of this contribution encourage the use
of an approach that is replicable by scholars and, most to the migrants’ place of birth. Furthermore, we expect
that despite this migration dynamic, life expectancy years
importantly, by statistical institutes and offices (at both the in the center-north are increasing during the COVID-19
national and regional/local level) for the study of internal pandemic and decreasing in the southern macroregion.
migration in a more accurate way, using a new perspective Once the data are available, it will be interesting to answer
for analysis. This is particularly important in Italy because, these questions using the approach proposed in this paper.
to the best of our knowledge, this approach is not currently
provided by Istat. This contribution does, however, have 5. Conclusion
some limitations that are worth mentioning. The period
considered is 2002 – 2013, due to availability of data. In this study, we applied the multiregional model place-of-
Istat usually does not provide information on the place of birth-dependent approach (Rogers 1995) to study internal
birth of the internal migration; therefore, we used ad hoc migration in Italy in the period 2002 – 2013. This approach
elaborations that are available only for this period. However, allowed us to: (i) estimate the duration of residence of
since the purpose of this paper is to test the association migrants (which could not be estimated in any other way
between internal migration and place of birth, the period in Italy in the period here considered) and (ii) to focus on
considered is not a relevant limitation for our investigation. the migrants’ place of birth, which has proved to be one
We believe that our results will encourage and motivate of the most important determinants of internal migration
national (and international) statistical institutes to collect (Rogers & Belanger, 1990; Abel, 2013). This approach
and disseminate official data about the place of birth of reveals the significantly different migratory patterns for
the population broken down by age, gender, and place each (hypothetical) cohort of birth. International literature
of residence. Furthermore, since no previous work has has pointed out that gender and distance between
adopted the same approach in Italy, we have no established territories are some of the main determinants affecting the
magnitude of migration flows worldwide (Abel & Muttarak,
reference analyses for us to compare our results with.
A future development could be to incorporate age- and 2017). Our results indicate that in the case of Italy, those
sex-specific rates of international out- and in-migration born in the northeast show the lowest levels of internal
by making some specific assumptions to the model that emigration compared to the other birth cohorts, with a
large proportion of young people (0 – 19 years) moving to
we applied. This would overcome the current limitation different macroregions. They are the least likely to live their
of our approach, which is the indirect consideration of years of e0 in the south. Indeed, those born in the northeast
international migrants in the analysis (Rogers, 1995).
move mainly to the northwest, of which the migrants are
Essentially, our investigation has an explorative predominantly women, against a backdrop with a rising
nature. We assumed that the multiregional life table and gender differential over time. Moreover, the important
the place-of-birth-dependent approach were sufficiently role played by distance is evident, as there is a significant
well-established and the rigorous methods for empirically predilection for the neighboring macroregions. Distance is
testing whether place of birth plays an important role less important for those born in the south. In this case, it
in determining internal migration. This allowed us to is probably the push factors (fewer job opportunities and a
distinguish specific migration patterns by highlighting more fragile economic system) that play a crucial role. The
that place of birth is indeed relevant to understanding internal migration of the northwest cohort is higher than
migration mechanisms. It would be interesting to apply that of the northeast cohort. Those born in the northwest
our proposed method to the study of internal migration concentrate their years of life expectancy in the northeast

Volume 10 Issue 3 (2024) 12 https://doi.org/10.36922/ijps.1898