Diego Iturralde is the Chief Director for Demography and Population Statistics at Statistics South Africa, where he oversees the production of population estimates, demographic research, and migration indicators. He holds a Master’s degree in Sociology from the University of Pretoria, an M.Phil. in Regional Science from Stellenbosch University, and a Postgraduate Diploma in Demography and Population Studies from the University of the Witwatersrand.

His areas of interest include population dynamics, public health, migration, and development. Mr. Iturralde serves as an advisor to the International Organization for Migration’s Global Migration Data Analysis Centre (IOM-GMDAC), and is a former co-chair of the UN Expert Group on International Migration Statistics. He is also a member of the African Union’s Specialized Technical Group on International Migration and participates in the IDAC initiative led by UNICEF, IOM, and the OECD where he chairs a dedicated working group. Most recently, Mr. Iturralde spearheaded the establishment of South Africa’s National Migration and Urbanisation Forum, aimed at fostering collaboration among stakeholders to share evidence, inform policy, and enhance migration management. In 2022, he was appointed to the International Union for the Scientific Study of Population (IUSSP) Panel on International Migration.