Lower-income countries under-represented in migration research, study finds
A novel study co-authored by Dr José Ignacio Carrasco finds that research into global migration disproportionately focuses on certain countries and regions, while overlooking others.
Many countries are significantly under-represented in the research, despite having large migrant populations.
Using bibliometric data from 1996 to 2022, the researchers compiled a database of around 125,000 migration-related publications spanning all academic disciplines and interdisciplinary fields.
Through computational text analysis, they created the first systematic, global, and quantitative assessment of which countries receive research attention, which are overlooked, and why.
The study found that lower-income countries, particularly those in Africa, Central Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, were persistently under-represented in the literature.
49% of African countries and 40% of Asian countries were under-represented, while 52% of European countries were over-represented within the research.
The authors also found that 78% of research was conducted by authors affiliated with institutions in high-income countries. Only 0.5% of research was conducted exclusively by authors based in lower-income countries.
Dr Carrasco said:
The concentration of authors from higher-income countries raises concerns about whose perspectives shape migration knowledge. The selection of contexts and topics to be researched is likely to align with the interests of these countries.
Countries with less politicised borders and populations that are still highly relevant from a demographic perspective may be persistently absent from the literature.
The authors hope the study will encourage a more inclusive research agenda, in which countries that are important in terms of their migrant populations receive more attention.
They concluded:
It is important to encourage researchers to reflect on the theories and generalisations that have emerged in this field, which are often concentrated along geographies that are not necessarily the most exposed to immigration and emigration dynamics.
One key priority is strengthening training and academic infrastructure for migration research in lower-income countries, as limited data and existing inequalities in these settings contribute to their continued underrepresentation in the field.
Original Publication
Carrasco, J.I., Akbaritabar, A., Godin, M. et al. 2025. Prioritizing global equity in migration research. Humanit Soc Sci Commun. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-025-06308-3
