Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research

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

Publication | July 30, 2026

Individual-Level Mortality Predictions: Statistical Models vs. Machine Learning

Researchers investigated whether traditional statistical and machine learning models could achieve a similarly high level of accuracy in predicting individual-level lifespan. Overall, the results show that machine learning does not significantly improve mortality predictions compared to conventional methods.  More

Climate Change | June 24, 2026

Premature Births and Low Birth Weight: Risks Posed by Wildfires

A recent study examined 3.4 million births in Spain between 2008 and 2021 to determine the impact of wildfires and associated air pollution on the health of newborns. The results revealed that mothers affected by wildfires were more likely to have premature births, and their children had lower birth weights, regardless of their socioeconomic status.  More