New Publication | April 02, 2025

Low Fertility and Economic Sustainability

A recently published study by Mikko Myrskylä, Director of the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research (MPIDR) in Rostock, Germany shows how money spent on education compensates for the influence of low birth rates on long-term economic sustainability. Myrskylä and his co-authors conducted a simulation using Finish data to study how the economy shrinks when fertility is very low, and how investments in education can compensate for the smaller birth cohort size. They find that such investments increase the productivity of the workforce which compensates for its smaller size. More

April

Scientific Presentations

LabTalks@SocialDemography

Ilari Taskinen from the Tampere University in Finland gives a talk. More

All Events

New Issue 1/2025 available | April 02, 2025

The Quarterly German Newsletter

Call for Papers

Fertility, Childlessness, and Reproductive Aging: Bio-social Perspectives

Introduction to our research groups

MaxHel Center

Press Release | April 03, 2025

Gender Role Beliefs Shape Desire for Parenthood

New research from the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research (MPIDR) and Radboud Universiteit demonstrates how attitudes towards gender roles shape family planning decisions. They conclude that low fertility rates in egalitarian societies reflect more than just practical barriers to parenthood, but may signal a fundamental shift in social values and life priorities. More

Selected Publications

Loi, S.; Li, P.; Myrskylä, M.:

At the intersection of adverse life course pathways: the effects on health by migration status Demography, 1–22. (2024)

Gueltzow, M.; Lahtinen, H.; Bijlsma, M. J.; Myrskylä, M.; Martikainen, P.:

Genetic propensity to depression and the role of partnership status Social Science and Medicine 351:116992, 1–8. (2024)

More Publications

Call for Papers

Climate Change, Environmental Hazards and Population Dynamics

Jobs & Fellowships

Questions and Answers

Being a Researcher at the MPIDR

March 17, 2025

How have Covid-19 vaccinations affected birth rates?

A recent study by the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research (MPIDR) found a link between the introduction of Covid-19 vaccination and a decline in fertility rates nine months later, with behavioral changes likely being the main cause. However, in most of the countries studied, the fertility rates returned to pre-pandemic levels after vaccination. There was no evidence of long-term adverse effects of Covid-19 vaccination on fertility tends. More