Circular Migration Plots

This chapter applies a new method for visualising a system of migration flows in one easy-to-read graphic that can depict the relative size and direction of migration streams. This approach goes beyond traditional flow maps that are constrained by the geography of regions and nation states. The inspiration for the circular layout was drawn from visualisations of genomic data using a visualization software package called Circos. In our circular migration plots, the sizes of flows in different parts of the UK drawn from the 2011 Census can be directly compared with each other. The static visualisations of inter-regional migration flows are complemented by an interactive visualisation of migration flows at the local and regional levels, disaggregated by age group.