Indigenous migration patterns in Brazil based on the 2010 national demographic census: analysis and critical reflection

Research in several Latin American countries points to violence, loss of traditional territories, and seeking education, health, and wage labor as key variables in triggering rural–urban migration among Indigenous people. This study presents an analysis of the migration patterns of Indigenous people in Brazil, compared to non-indigenous people, based on data from the most recent national census, conducted in 2010. Migration characteristics related to lifetime migration and recent migration were investigated by means of descriptive and multivariable logistic regression analyses. The findings pointed to complex mobility scenarios according to migrants’ Indigenous status and geographical regions of origin and destination. Indigenous people living in urban areas presented high levels of mobility (approximately 50% lived in different municipalities from those where they were born), which were more pronounced than those of non-Indigenous people. Indigenous people living in rural areas presented the lowest levels of migration (approximately 90% residing in their municipality of birth). Statistical modeling confirmed the patterns observed in descriptive analysis, highlighting the marked mobility of Indigenous subjects in urban areas. We emphasize the limitations of using census data for characterizing Indigenous mobility profiles, although no other nationally representative data are available. The finding that the Indigenous population living in urban areas presents rates of migration higher than their non-Indigenous counterparts is particularly important for the planning and implementation of a broad range of public policies aimed at ethnic minorities in the country, including health, education, and housing initiatives.