Chuuk State Census Report - pacificweb.org

Chapter 6. Migration2000 FSM Census of Chuuk StateLimitations and Comparability. Due to changes in the boundaries of foreign countries over the past decades, somepersons may have reported their place of birth in terms of boundaries that existed at the time of their birth but havesince changed.Not all migratory moves in the five years before the census were covered. For example, some persons may have residedin the same place in 1994 and 2000 but moved in the interim. This migration was not taken into account. Wherepersons moved more than once in the five years before the census, only the place of residence five years before and thecurrent place of residence were recorded.Analysis of Migration DataThe data from the 2000 Census was used to determine the migration patterns in Chuuk, including place of birth,citizenship, continuous residence, and residence in 1995. These are compared with the 1989 and 1994 Censuses (ifavailable) and are also used to analyze the changes that took place over time.BirthplaceBirthplace provides useful data on lifetime migration and mobility patterns, covering an indefinite time interval,determined by people's ages and the timing and direction of movement. Table 6.1 compares the birthplace of Chuukresidents in 1989, 1994 and 2000.With few exceptions, the data shows that the overseas-born immigrant population to Chuuk was primarily male,especially from other FSM States in 2000 and Asia in 1994 and again in 1989. These differences in sexes could haveimportant implications for future composition of the Chuuk population, particularly if the international migration wereto increase. The figures suggest that immigration, particularly from Asia, increased rapidly between 1989 and 1994,but fell in 2000. While the Chuuk-born population grew by more than 1 percent (746persons) between census years1994 and 2000, the Asian-born population decreased by more about 90 percent (438 persons) during the same period.Table 6.1: Birthplace of Chuuk Residents by Sex: 1989 to 20001989 Males per 1994 Males per 2000 Males perBirthplace Total Males Females 100 females Total Males Females 100 females Total Males Females 100 femalesTotal 47,871 24,203 23,668 102.3 53,319 27,299 26,020 104.9 53,595 27,158 26,437 102.7Chuuk 46,829 23,605 23,224 101.6 52,347 26,562 25,785 103.0 53,093 26,846 26,247 102.3Outside Chuuk 1,042 598 444 134.7 972 737 235 313.6 502 312 190 164.2Other FSM States 406 221 185 119.5 224 134 90 148.9 192 128 64 200.0USA 232 131 101 129.7 212 118 94 125.5 80 49 31 158.1Asia 69 47 22 213.6 489 454 35 1,297.1 51 38 13 292.3Elsewhere 335 199 136 146.3 47 31 16 193.8 179 97 82 118.3Source: 1989 Chuuk Censuses; 1994 FSM Census, Table P17; 2000 FSM Census, Table P2-5..Table 6.2 shows place of usual residence by country of birth for 1994 and 2000 to reveal some details aboutinternational migration. In census year 2000, 99 percent of Chuuk residents were born in Chuuk. The immigrantpopulation accounted for about 1 percent of the total population (a 1 percent drop from 1994). The immigrantpopulation comprised of foreigners (including other FSM State persons) and Chuukese born overseas who had returnedto Chuuk. Between 1994 and 2000, the number of foreign-born individuals in Chuuk was reduced: Asians by 438,Americans by 132 and other Micronesians States by 32 persons. The only increase was for individuals born‘elsewhere’ by 132 persons. The largest proportion among all the foreign-born people in Chuuk at the time of 2000Census was from the other FSM states, while during the 1994 Census was from Asia, comprised mostly of Chinesebornfishermen.Almost all of the Chuuk residents were born in their place of residence. The highest percentage of foreign-born inChuuk Lagoon were those born in other FSM states, accounting for almost half (46 percent) of the foreign-bornpopulation. Similarly, the majority (78 percent) of foreigners in the Outer Islands were born in other FSM States.50 Chuuk Branch Statistics Office, Division of Statistics, FSM Department of Economic Affairs