Our objectives are to identify the issues that researchers encounter when measuring internal migration in different countries and to propose key indicators that analysts can use to compare internal migration at the 'national' level. We establish the benefits to be gained by a rigorous approach to cross-national comparisons of internal migration and discuss issues that affect such comparisons. We then distinguish four dimensions of internal migration on which countries can be compared and, for each dimension, identify a series of summary measures. We illustrate the issues and measures proposed by comparing migration in Australia and Great Britain. Copyright 2002 Royal Statistical Society.

Our objectives are to identify the issues that researchers encounter when measuring internal migration in different countries and to propose key indicators that analysts can use to compare internal migration at the 'national' level.We establish the benefits to be gained by a rigorous approach to cross-national comparisons of internal migration and discuss issues that affect such comparisons. We then distinguish four dimensions of internal migration on which countries can be compared and, for each dimension, identify a series of summary measures. We illustrate the issues and measures proposed by comparing migration in Australia and Great Britain.

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Changes in zonal boundaries severely compromise the reliability of comparisons made from time series data. We examine problems and solutions to the development of a temporally consistent spatial structure in the context of the literature on zone design. Four main approaches to the development of compatible spatial systems are identified and their merits discussed. One of these, the 'designer' solution, is used to establish a consistent spatial structure for the analysis of interregional migration in Australia over the period 1976 to 1996. It is shown that intercensal boundary changes over this period create significant spatial discontinuities and that variations in the digital boundaries from successive censuses hamper development of an automated solution. We set out the tasks involved in the design of geographical zones, establish criteria for the design of migration regions and describe the key procedures for implementation. Using these principles we then devise a system of 69 functional regions which for practical purposes