Measuring diaspora populations and their socio-economic profiles: The example of Australia’s Chinese diaspora

Abstract

Data on diasporas are incomplete, inaccurate, and beset by definitional fluidity as the concept itself evolves. Despite their significant role in homeland development, members of a diaspora population are typically passed over in origin countries’ censuses, and policies and planning rely instead on statistics generated in destination countries. To analyse the data available from destination countries, this article deploys two coordinated concepts—diaspora and transnationalism. We construct a demographic and socio-economic profile of the Chinese diaspora population in Australia spanning 2000–2016. That work is based on the 2016 Australian Census and on Migrants Integrated Dataset (ACMID) and 2016 Australian Census and Temporary Entrants Integrated Dataset (ACTEID) micro-files sourced from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The profile is disaggregated by permanent or temporary residency status, visa, and citizenship, stratified by geographic distribution, and compared with that of Australia’s overall migrant population. Nuanced understandings of the size, composition, distribution, and socio-economic integration into the destination lays a baseline necessary for policymakers and agencies in the countries of origin as they work toward more targeted diaspora engagement practices. Those understandings also inform retention strategies in Australia concerning diaspora groups that can enhance economic and social inclusion.