Spatial patterns of migration in Himachal Pradesh, 1991–2001

This research work was carried out to analyze the spatial patterns of migration in Himachal Pradesh. The state has conventionally not been a place of migration primarily because of physico-geographic factors. During the recent past, particularly in 1990s, there has been an upsurge in migration, both in and out, in response to establishment of three small Special Economic Zones (SEZs) in the state. It was rather an interesting venture to explore the patterns of migration in a state which has traditionally been isolated without any considerable migratory tendencies amongst its population. The analysis has been done at the district level as district is the smallest administrative unit for which the census of India brings out the migration data. It was found that number of out migrants exceeded the number of in-migrants. Hence net migration in Himachal Pradesh was negative for the time period under consideration.