Pre-Conference EPC Workshop

Demographic Microsimulation in R using SOCSIM – Modelling Population and Kinship Dynamics

Liliana P. Calderón-Bernal | Tom Theile | Mallika Snyder | Ridhi Kashyap
Bologna, Italy, June 03, 2026

Location: The University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
Time: 13:00-16:30

About

The Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research will be hosting an interactive workshop on SOCSIM demographic microsimulation using the "rsocsim" R package. SOCSIM is a powerful open-source tool for modelling individual demographic events and producing synthetic populations with plausible age and kinship structures, using population-level demographic rates as input. It has supported demographic research for decades.

By simulating individual life course trajectories that are consistent with macro-demographic rates, microsimulation enables the study of complex demographic phenomena, such as kin availability, kin loss, generational overlap, and the long-term effects of changing fertility and mortality rates on kinship networks. This approach is particularly useful for studying heterogeneous populations and understanding variation in demographic experience at both the individual and the population levels.

In this workshop, we will cover the basics of demographic microsimulation with SOCSIM, including the process of setting up, running, and verifying a microsimulation in R using ‘rsocsim’ (https://mpidr.github.io/rsocsim/) and publicly available data from the World Population Prospects (WPP) 2024. From there, you will explore how to interpret and analyse the simulation output through practical examples of estimating kin loss and kin availability. Whether you are a seasoned microsimulator or just beginning to consider how microsimulation might be used in your research, this workshop will provide valuable training and insight for researchers studying individual-level population and kinship dynamics.

Registration

Please complete this form to register your interest in this workshop, which will be held in person. Registrations will be processed and reviewed on a first-come-first-served basis until all available places are filled.

This workshop is being organised as a part of the IUSSP Panels on Digital and Computational Demography  and Kinship Structures, Dynamics, and Inequalities for participants in the European Population Conference 2026. There is no cost for participation, but no financial support is available to attend the workshop.