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.

Press Release | March 05, 2026

Weaponizing Kinship

In a recent study published in the journal Population and Development Review, researchers quantified how many Colombians have ever lost at least a family member to conflict-related violence in the country. These killings and disappearances can be considered a deliberate tactic to destabilize families and communities. More

March

Scientific Presentations

Talks@BIOSFER

2:00 PM: Talk with Louise Illum (Aarhus University) - tba
2:20 PM: Talk with Kelsey Wright (MPIDR) - Biological Age Meets Couple Duration: Untangling timing of first births in the context of fertility decline
2:40 PM: Talk with Maria Lyster Andersen (NIPH) - tba More

All Events

Süßmilch Lecture

The Role of Human Behavior in Shaping Infectious Disease Dynamics

Recommended Readings | February 25, 2026

Analysing Biases in Genealogies

Introduction to our research groups

Demographic Data

News | March 04, 2026

Large Gaps in Migration Research

Migration research focuses primarily on high-income countries and regions, such as Europe, North America, and parts of Asia. Despite their significant migrant populations, researchers have found that low-income countries, particularly in Africa and parts of Asia, are underrepresented. A recent study identified and analyzed about 125,000 migration-related publications. It shows that research output depends largely on the national research infrastructure and the authors' affiliation with specific institutions. More

Selected Publications

Jasilionis, D.; van Raalte, A. A.; Klüsener, S.; Grigoriev, P.:

The underwhelming German life expectancy European Journal of Epidemiology, 1–12. (2023)

Carollo, A.; Putter, H.; Eilers, P. H. C.; Gampe, J.:

Analysis of time-to-event data with two time scales: an application to transitions out of cohabitation Sociological Methods and Research, 1–31. (2025)

More Publications

Call for Application

Lise Meitner Excellence Program

Call for Application

ARTEMIS – African Research Talents Experiencing Mentoring In Science

Questions and Answers

Being a Researcher at the MPIDR

Working at MPIDR

Life & Research in Rostock

Career

Open Positions

New Issue 4/2025 available | December 18, 2025

The Quarterly German Newsletter

Pre-Conference EPC Workshop

Climate Demography: Population Dynamics in a Changing Climate

Latest Publications

New Research Group | February 06, 2026

New Max Planck Research Group on Medical Demography

For more than five decades, the Max Planck Research Groups have been a key focus of promoting young scientists within the Max Planck Society. The selection process for group leader positions is rigorous. Last year, Marcus Ebeling, a scientist at the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research (MPIDR), successfully completed the process. He will lead the 'Medical Demography' research group from July onwards. More