Data Gaps in Microdata in the Context of Forced Displacement

This paper aims to understand the existing gaps in micro-level data on forcibly displaced people—refugees and internally displaced persons. The paper undertakes a comprehensive review of all existing micro-level data sets in the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Microdata Library and the World Bank Microdata Library. It first identifies a corpus of micro-level data sets that are designed to have a representative sample of refugees and/or internally displaced persons and assesses gaps in geographical and thematic coverage. The paper then evaluates whether the data sets contain a core set of questions that are essential for the proper identification of refugees and internally displaced persons. The findings show that microdata on forcibly displaced people are comparatively rich in Sub-Saharan Africa in contrast to other regions. However, data scarcity is notably pronounced in countries facing fragility and conflict. Scarcity is also evident among internally displaced persons and on topics such as labor and employment, finance (for instance, credit, debt, and banking), agriculture/livestock/fishery, and education. The paper also highlights that many of the existing micro-level data sets on forcibly displaced people do not contain the core set of questions needed for proper identification of refugees or internally displaced persons according to international statistical standards.