Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research

We study the structure and dynamics of populations and explore issues of political relevance, such as aging, fertility, and the redistribution of work over the life course, as well as digitization and the use of new data sources for the estimation of migration flows.

New Position | September 07, 2026

Alyson van Raalte and Kieron Barclay appointed new Editors-in-Chief of Population Studies

Starting September 1, 2026, Alyson van Raalte and Kieron Barclay will succeed longtime editor John Ermisch in leading the journal 'Population Studies'.  More

September

01

October

23

Preparatory courses at the MPIDR

European Doctoral School of Demography (EDSD)

The European Doctoral School of Demography is an eleven-month sponsored program that is offered every year aiming to provide students with an appropriate high-level education in demography to pursue their doctoral studies. Students will acquire a solid knowledge base on the causes and consequences of demographic change, population data, statistical and mathematical demography, as well as modeling, simulation, and forecasting.  More

All Events

IDEM 187 - Call for Application

Topics in Digital and Computational Demography

Introduction to our research groups

Gender Inequalities and Fertility

News | September 02, 2026

Worried About the Environment, but Still Becoming Parents

Strong environmental concerns generally did not keep young people from becoming parents. These worries tended to fade with age among parents and non-parents alike. Whether today’s younger generations will follow the same pattern remains an open question.  More

Selected Publications

Gueltzow, M.; Oude Groeniger, J.; Bijlsma, M. J.; Jansen, P. W.; Houweling, T. A. J.; van Lenthe, F. J.:

Childhood obesity's influence on socioeconomic disparities in young adolescents’ mental health   Annals of Epidemiology 94, 19–26. (2024)

Jiang, S.; Zuo, W.; Guo, Z.; Tuljapurkar, S.:

Changing demographic rates reshape kinship networks   Demography 62:3, 899–922. (2025)

More Publications

Questions and Answers

Being a Researcher at the MPIDR

Working at MPIDR

Life & Research in Rostock

New Issue 2/2026 available | June 30, 2026

The Quarterly German Newsletter

Press Release | August 05, 2026

Fewer Heart Attacks, More Cancer Cases, and Better Survival Chances

Heart attacks, strokes, and hip fractures are becoming less common. Meanwhile, cancer cases are increasing, and more people are surviving these severe diseases. A new study by the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research (MPIDR) and the Karolinska Institute examines how medical progress has impacted various diseases in Sweden.  More

Max-Planck-Gesellschaft - Logo
The Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research (MPIDR) in Rostock is one of the leading demographic research centers in the world. It's part of the Max Planck Society, the internationally renowned German research society.