ABSTRACT
The object of this chapter is to find an empirically based estimation of migration in old age related to Germany, by using the register data of the German Pension Insurance for retired persons who having lived in Germany for some time. Circular migration underlines the identity of migrants, which is connected with their biography, their way of life, and their social networks in the country of origin, as well as in the country of relocation. Migrants' settlement decisions seem to depend on the structural level of the host society, such as its laws, its economy, and its political, social, and cultural models. The analysis shows a growing number and share of transnational biographies among pensioners. People with a foreign nationality had regular employment in Germany, and more Germans have worked in foreign countries. Transnational aging will become more frequent in the future, especially when there is peace, stability, and shared prosperity in the countries of origin.
