Abstract
There are four criteria for establishing the adequacy of a base population to be used in computing migration rates. Subsumed under the first criterion are four qualities or assumptions about the demographic variables: fertility, mortality, in[long dash]migration and out-migration. The other three criteria are availability of data, accuracy of data and ease of computation. Seven bases are analyzed in this article: population of an area at time 1; population of an area at time 2; population of an area at time 2 which is n years of age or older; mid-period population; arthmetic mean of final population aged n years and older and the initial population minus deaths to initial residents; final population aged n years and older minus half the net migration; final population age n years and older minus all in-migrants plus those out-migrants who resided there initially. None of the bases are wholly satisfactory but the least unsatisfactory is the last of these.

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