Migration is both a powerful driver and an important consequence of economic, political and social change. As such, it must be measured and understood effectively. While international migration statistics have traditionally focused on immigration, reliable information on emigration is equally essential. Emigration shapes population size and composition, affects labour markets, and contributes to long-term demographic change. Understanding who leaves a country, and in what numbers, is vital for evidence-based policymaking and the appropriate allocation of resources. Yet measuring emigration remains a persistent challenge for the statistical community, as demands for timely, accurate and internationally comparable data continue to grow.

Prepared by the Conference of European Statisticians Task Force on Measuring Emigration, this publication provides guidance on data sources, methods for evaluating and communicating emigration statistics, and the use of mirror statistics – that is, the use of immigration records from destination countries to estimate emigration from countries of origin. It also offers recommendations to national statistical offices on improving the production of emigration statistics, validating emigration estimates, and strengthening data sharing and international cooperation.

The publication is intended to support national statistical offices and other producers of migration statistics, while helping users better understand how emigration data are compiled and evaluated.

The Guidance was endorsed by the seventy-fourth plenary session of the Conference of European Statisticians in June 2026.