Perfil Migratorio de Uruguay - IOM Publications

10
DEMOGRAPHIC AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC PROFILE OF MIGRANTS
The demographic profile of registered accumulated migrant stocks in destination
countries in census data from 1980, 1990 and 2000 indicates that migrants tend to be young
and predominantly male. The recent emigration flows are no exception: according to the
results of the 2006 ENHA, 55 per cent of the migrants who left Uruguay between 2000 and
2006 were 20 to 30 years old. As in previous waves, most were male.
Education level appears to be a selection factor for potential emigrants. The accumulated
volume of professionals among the diaspora registered as economically active is estimated
at 10 per cent of the total population in Uruguay. The educational level of Uruguayan emigrants
living in the Unites States is higher than the residents in Spain, while women migrants also
tend to have higher average educational levels than men.
Migrant networks are a significant factor in explaining the migration dynamics of
Uruguay. The exodus of the 1970s and 1980s resulted in communities of Uruguayans in many
parts of the world, creating important links between migrants in the diaspora and their families
and communities in Uruguay. These networks made emigration an important and feasible
response to political or economic difficulties in Uruguay.
The loss of highly skilled professionals through emigration is partially compensated
through immigration, as evident in the profile of recent immigrants. The foreign-born population
that immigrated to Uruguay during the last decade shows a much higher average
education level than those born in the country. Associated with higher average education
level, recent immigrants also have higher income levels.
As a result of historical European immigration flows, a significant proportion of the
immigrants in Uruguay are elderly. Immigrants who arrived over the past decade, however,
are of productive age, and a significant number of children of emigrants born abroad have
returned to the country.
During recent years, most immigrants have come from the region, mainly from Argentina.
Among those who arrived before 2000, Europeans (principally Spanish and Italians) have
considerable importance, although the presence of Argentineans and Brazilians remains high.
The profile of returning migrants is similar to that of emigrants: they tend to be more
educated than the native population, predominantly male, and of productive age, though they
are as a rule older than the average emigrant, due to the time spent abroad. Consistent with
their higher average educational level, one third of returnees belong to the richest quintile in
terms of income distribution, though 12 per cent belong to the poorest quintile.
Perfil Migratorio de Uruguay 2011