As Maria Pohl, Ewa Batyra and Albert Esteve demonstrate, despite recent progress, differences in school enrolment by children’s living arrangements persist in Africa, driving diversity within and between countries. Children … Read more
“Lowest-low fertility” has become widespread but is now less informative, Stuart Gietel-Basten and Ignacio Pardo argue. Countries sharing very low fertility levels increasingly follow divergent demographic trajectories. A single threshold … Read more
As populations grow older, the economic boost known as the demographic dividend, driven by a large working-age population, is fading. However, the drivers of prosperity are shifting. Using Chinese demographic … Read more
In the last decade, Türkiye has recorded the steepest fertility decline in Europe. Period indicators, however, reveal only part of the story. With a birth-order analysis Sutay Yavuz shows that … Read more
Projected population growth of about 2 billion in Africa and elsewhere will contribute to poverty, poor reproductive health, environmental degradation and climate change. Frank Götmark, Chukwuedozie Ajaero, Mohammad Mainul Islam, Rhoda … Read more
Yiang Li’s research on Americans born in the early 20th century shows that adults who grew up with multiple brothers and sisters, especially siblings close in age, experienced markedly faster cognitive … Read more
Increasing life expectancy across the world calls for a comprehensive understanding of how these additional years are lived by individuals. By estimating years of life expectancy with care needs in … Read more
Economic cycles shape first births in Belgium and help explain aggregate fertility trends. However, as Wood, Neels and Marynissen show, pro-cyclical fertility holds for natives and European descendants, but not … Read more
Promoting longer working lives has become a key policy response to population ageing. Jan Einhoff finds that successive European birth cohorts have spent a growing number of years in employment … Read more
Avoidable mortality is traditionally analysed at the national level. Using district-level data from 10 European countries between 2002 and 2019, Sophie Stroisch, Michael Mühlichen, Pavel Grigoriev and Tobias Vogt reveal … Read more
In the US, each additional year of education is linked to a lower risk of dementia in later life, Hyungmin Cha notes. The decline is steady across the education spectrum, … Read more
Harmonised cross-national data from five European countries reveals persistent differences in residential mobility and housing patterns among immigrants and their descendants in Europe. Joseph Harrison notes that differences between immigrants … Read more
Mortality in Europe follows a clear seasonal pattern, with more deaths during winter months especially, but their impact on life expectancy is often overlooked. Using data from 20 countries, Isabella … Read more
Working parents with at least one child who use formal childcare services are not always more likely to have further children. As Jonas Wood shows, the European evidence is mixed, … Read more
First marriage in South Korea has declined sharply over the past three decades. This is not simply a story of later marriage. Even after accounting for delayed timing, Sam Hyun … Read more
People with higher levels of education tend to live longer, healthier lives. However, education is not only an individual resource – its benefits may also be shared between partners. Using … Read more
Across 23 sub-Saharan African countries, fertility decline in the past few decades is in good part attributable to the shrinking share of women in polygynous unions. As Sophia Chae and … Read more
The study of small-scale mortality, although of great interest, is rarely feasible due to data limitations. By exploiting a municipality-level database prepared by the Italian National Institute of Statistics (Istat), … Read more
Italy, one of the strategic entry points into Europe for refugees and asylum seekers, is facing increasing arrivals with a reception system that is not always adequate and not always … Read more
Worldwide, the path leading to delayed fertility is more complex than it may appear at first sight. Thomas Spoorenberg and Vegard Skirbekk offer a few keys to better interpret current … Read more
Using multiple cause-of-death data from the United States, France, Italy, and Spain, Magali Barbieri and colleagues show that multi-morbidity at death contributes disproportionately to the US disadvantage in life expectancy … Read more
The United States is becoming increasingly heterogeneous, a tendency also reflected in mortality trends. Perhaps unexpectedly, one of the driving forces behind these trends is state political orientation, as Anneliese … Read more
Across high-income countries, women and couples are having children later than ever before, sometimes turning to assisted reproductive technologies (ART). At older ages, however, Ester Lazzari and Luzia Bruckamp say, … Read more
Dutch kinship network data, Vera de Bel argues, suggest that the Dutch baby boom has trickled down from one generation to the next, leading to larger numbers of aunts, uncles, … Read more
Educational expansion has contributed to increasing the average lifespan and reducing its variability. As Jesús-Daniel Zazueta-Borboa, Ugofilippo Basellini and Fanny Janssen show for England & Wales, Finland, and Italy (Turin) … Read more
The emotional consequences of “silver splits” (at age 50 years or over) depend on one’s ties with adult children. When these ties are close, Lisa Jessee and Deborah Carr observe, … Read more
Using four Pakistan Demographic and Health surveys Rashid Javed, Mazhar Mughal and Thierry Lorey find that women married before 18 show stronger son preference and differential fertility stopping patterns. Women’s … Read more
Paris was once marked by high mortality. In the late 19th century, the French capital lagged significantly behind the rest of France in life expectancy. Today, it ranks among the … Read more
The key public health problems of smoking, alcohol and obesity are strongly socially patterned. In recent years, Fanny Janssen says, they have contributed markedly both to average educational inequality in … Read more
Alessandro Ferrara investigates whether refugees arriving in Germany during the 2010s follow the same health trajectories as other migrants. He finds that, like other newcomers, refugees arrive with strong physical … Read more
Using UK birth cohorts (1940–1989), Alessandro Di Nallo shows that parental occupational class predicts whether first births occur in marriage, cohabitation, or while single – and at what ages. Despite … Read more
Working mothers who use formal childcare for their first child are more likely to have a second, Jonas Wood says. While part of this effect reflects differences in who uses … Read more
In Italy, as elsewhere, population ageing seems destined to create a series of daunting difficulties. However, as the new e-book edited by Daniele Vignoli and Gustavo De Santis shows, with … Read more
Rapid decline in a country’s birth and death rates creates a “kinship gap”, leaving people born just years apart with vastly different family support networks. Sha Jiang discusses the ensuing … Read more
The European Union enlargements of the early 2000s were accompanied by intense emigration from the new member states. This was followed by an apparent increase in emigrants’ fertility, well above … Read more
Drawing on data from ISTAT’s survey on the Social Condition and Integration of Foreign Citizens, Alessio Buonomo, Stefania Capecchi, Francesca Di Iorio and Salvatore Strozza examine the association between cultural … Read more
Socioeconomic inequalities shape the ways in which people form families. Denise B. Musni and Christine Schnor show that these inequalities influence women’s likelihood of becoming a mother while single, but … Read more
Drawing on data from 26 European countries, Aude Bernard, Patricia McMullin, and Sergi Vidal uncover a strong association between the number of internal moves and childhood loneliness. Childhood migration and … Read more
Vegard Skirbekk and Thomas Spoorenberg* advocate the combined use of fertility and mortality information, or net reproduction, when discussing fertility levels and trends, both in developing and in developed countries. … Read more
Using information from 144 surveys across 34 countries from 1980 to 2020, Pearl Kyei, Samuel Agyei-Mensah, John Casterline and Ayaga Bawah find that the age difference between spouses decreased by … Read more
Based on a longitudinal analysis of dried-bloodspot, physical-exam, and performance-test biomarkers in nearly 20,000 participants in the US Health and Retirement Study and English Longitudinal Study of Aging, Arun Balachandran … Read more
Marriage and family ties in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) are undergoing profound changes. While traditions persist, young people now marry later, fewer cousin marriages occur, and family … Read more
While the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted societies worldwide, its demographic toll in France was far lower than the 1918 Spanish flu epidemic or the 1911 heatwave. Florian Bonnet and Carlo-Giovanni Camarda … Read more
Michael J. White, Tyler W. Myroniuk, Carren Ginsburg, and Chantel Pheiffer examine the question of whether migrants in the South African context (2018–2020, rural-to-urban migration) have more “grit”— perseverance in … Read more
For decades, the majority of Americans have reported ideal family sizes of two children, yet actual birth rates are falling well below reported ideals. Julia Behrman, Emily Marshall, and Florian … Read more
This qualitative study explores solitary ageing in Ghana’s Greater Accra Region. Interviews with 52 older adults from six communities revealed situations of emotional isolation, social disconnection, and poverty. Andrew Kweku … Read more
Lifespan is uncertain, even for well-informed individuals. Sha Jiang, Wenyun Zuo, Zhen Guo and Shripad Tuljapurkar show that this irreducible demographic risk increases with delayed pension claiming and hits male … Read more
Emergency contraception has been on the rise in Italy in the past 10 years, especially after recent liberalization laws. Gianpiero Dalla-Zuanna, Anna Giraldo and Marzia Loghi discuss the pros and … Read more
Rural-to-urban migration within eastern Germany has overtaken east-west migration as the main driver of skewed adult sex ratios in rural areas. The shift in migration patterns, according to Nico Stawarz, … Read more
Several countries have seen recent increases in the prevalence of mental disorders. Has this contributed to reduced fertility? A Norwegian register-based analysis shows negative associations between mental disorders and birth … Read more
Assisted reproductive technology (ART) is playing an increasingly important role in the realization of childbearing intentions in advanced societies. While ART is more accessible than ever, its usage varies across … Read more
Depressive symptoms are on the increase in China, both over the life course and across cohorts. As Tingshuai Ge, Frans Johannes van Leeuwen, Quanbao Jiang and Liliya Leopold indicate, disparities … Read more
Young people in the Global South are following increasingly diverse and ever-changing paths to adulthood. Yet, inequalities persist. Shelley Clark and Khandys Agnant show that despite impressive gains in female … Read more
All over the world, child protective services have a duty to deal with cases of child maltreatment. However, even confining research to the Global North, better equipped, in principle, for … Read more
Married individuals tend to live longer, but what about cohabiters? Using data from the Swedish registry, Jesper Lindmarker, Martin Kolk and Sven Drefahl find that cohabitation reduces the risk of … Read more
Do immigrants have more children than people who were born in their destination country? Does immigrant childbearing behaviour adapt towards destination childbearing norms? In a new case study, Ben Wilson … Read more
Polygynous unions are on the decline in sub-Saharan Africa, although uncertainty surrounding the prevalence and characteristics of children in these households remains. Emily Treleaven and Emma Banchoff find that the … Read more
Denmark’s 2002 family reunification policy required foreign spouses to be 24+ and have stronger ties to Denmark than elsewhere. This reshaped union formation and fertility among immigrants, further increasing educational … Read more
The gradual increase in life expectancy and the accelerating pace of population aging pose significant challenges to economies, health systems, and healthcare infrastructure all over the world and, as Yu … Read more
Comprehensive contraceptive transition theory, Shireen J. Jejeebhoy and Zeba Sathar argue, must prioritize women’s agency and gender roles, particularly the ability of women and girls to make independent contraceptive choices, … Read more
In the United States, birthright citizenship is a constitutional right that dates back to 1868. However, following President Trump’s recently issued executive order, the new administration is seeking to deny … Read more
In the U.S., white immigrants constitute nowadays almost 20% of total immigrants, but their origins of have changed considerably over time, with a minority coming from western Europe and most … Read more
The transition to parenthood in Germany often results in a more gendered labor division, with women reducing paid work and increasing housework. Maria Hornung and Chiara L. Comolli examine how … Read more
In 2020, Latin America became the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the number of deaths increased dramatically. Meanwhile, Uruguay experienced lower mortality levels than the previous year despite a … Read more
Richard Grossman joins the ongoing N-IUSSP debate on the sustainability of current and predicted population growth. He takes up several of the arguments that make David Lam moderately optimistic about … Read more
Climate change is caused much more by generalized pursuit of throughput growth and the consumption patterns of the wealthy than by population growth. Structural changes would be needed in global … Read more
Ester Lazzari and Valeria Zurla examine how taking on the role of caregiver for a parent influences the expectation to have children. Using prospective data from the Australian HILDA survey, … Read more
Recently, mean paternal ages at childbirth have risen sharply. This has alarmed researchers from a wide range of fields as offspring of older fathers have higher health risks. However, existing … Read more
Stefania Molina’s research reveals that, in Colombia, separated and cohabiting mothers experience higher levels of intimate partner violence during pregnancy than married mothers. Disparities in low birth weight across partnership … Read more
The realization of fertility intentions varies greatly across Europe. Zsolt Spéder and Lajos Bálint find that labour market stability, low inflation, strong welfare state involvement, and cultural attitudes emphasizing the … Read more
Are grandchildren beneficial to mental health in old age? Using advanced statistical techniques and data from 160,000 individuals across Europe, Elisa Brini and Francesca Zanasi challenge this common belief: family … Read more
Poland’s ambitious “Family 500+” program offered substantial monthly payment to families with children. While the program modestly increased overall fertility in the short-term, its effects varied significantly by age and … Read more
Despite a large number of unauthorized immigrants entering the United States across the U.S.-Mexico border, the size of the undocumented foreign-born population remained almost constant at around 11 million between … Read more
Thomas Spoorenberg* updates earlier studies on the increased concentration of reproduction as fertility declines, a trend that is now also apparent in developing countries. When discussing population trends, demographers often … Read more
David Lam looks at the resource impact of the projected 2.1 billion increase in world population by 2084. He concludes that population change will increase demand for food and water, … Read more
America leads the world in single-parent household rates, with the large majority of those households missing a father. Despite the public’s recognition of the importance of two-parent households for children … Read more
Internal migration profiles are heavily delineated by age and sex, but Ashira Menashe-Oren and Philippe Bocquier find that this has little effect on age and sex structures of rural and … Read more
Fertility transitions in low- and middle-income countries are driven by changes in both preferences for smaller families and their implementation. Claims of an overwhelming dominance of either changing demand or … Read more
America is facing a child care crisis: care services are costly and scarce and fail to meet the needs of families. The majority of U.S. voters, Joseph Chamie opines, feel … Read more
While mortality is low in Europe, progress is slowing down and regional convergence, once notable, may have come to a halt. Markus Sauerberg, Florian Bonnet, Carlo-Giovanni Camarda, and Pavel Grigoriev … Read more
There is a longstanding interest in understanding whether children born following unplanned pregnancy could be at higher risk of negative health outcomes, including early life mortality. Using Demographic and Health … Read more
In Malawi, in a trial carried out between 2016 and 2018, children grew taller and exhibited more rapid cognitive development when their mothers’ access to family planning and reproductive health … Read more
Childlessness in Korea is rising due to delayed marriage, increasing singleness and a growing share of childless unions. Misun Lee and Kryštof Zeman show that while more years in education … Read more
Early union formation and motherhood are frequently observed in low- and middle-income countries, where heterogeneity in the timing of family formation is also high. Using Demographic and Health Surveys for … Read more
Massive internal migration in China has transformed the landscape of childhood for millions. Analyzing census data from 2000 to 2020, Mengyao Cheng, Yu Chen, Lidan Lyu, and Yu Bai find … Read more
Child benefits are never explicitly included in pension systems, although mothers often receive other forms of compensation, such as provisions for earlier retirement or higher pensions. There are good reasons … Read more
Pay-as-you-go (PAYGO) pension systems are problematic: commitments are meant to be long term, but reality changes rapidly, which forces a frequent revision of rules. Gustavo De Santis suggests an alternative … Read more
The introduction of unilateral divorce legislation in the US in the 1970s and 1980s, which led to spikes in divorce rates, coincided with rising educational assortative matching into marriage. Geghetsik … Read more
Statistics on euthanasia and assisted suicides are rarely available, in part because very few countries have legalized this form of end of life, and usually only in recent or very … Read more
With respect to other members of an origin population, migrants are selected on the basis of certain characteristics. This selection can affect economic prospects and education but also health. Elisa … Read more
Liliana Andriano shows that heatwave exposure prior to birth causes lower birthweight. Given the implications for life-long health and well-being, the study provides insights for policymakers who are concerned with … Read more
The Chinese government attaches great importance to the construction of National Forest Cities, which have proved effective not only as part of the national low-carbon environmental strategy, but also as … Read more
The Venezuelan exodus stands as the largest displacement in recent Latin American history, with around 22.5% of the population now living abroad. Drawing on data from seven of the main … Read more
In Italy, grandparents are a fundamental source of care for children, and families are the main source of support for older individuals. Margherita Moretti, Elisa Cisotto and Alessandra De Rose … Read more
The implications of inaccurate age-reporting among older people are rarely investigated. Alice Reid, Allen Kabagenyi, Stephen Wandera, Joshua Beinomugisha and Sarah Walters suggest that age-heaping may have more to do … Read more
Europe was hard-hit by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021. While its effects at national level are now well known, intranational differences have been less frequently investigated. Florian Bonnet, … Read more
Angela Greulich and Laurent Toulemon present a new method for measuring the educational gradient of fertility for women who are at childbearing age rather than for women who have already … Read more
Katya Ivanova and Nicoletta Balbo examine the link between societal pessimism and fertility decisions. Using prospective data from the Dutch LISS panel, the authors illustrate that broader concerns about the … Read more
Return migrants’ fertility is likely to differ from that of nonmigrants and migrants due to migration experiences, norms, adaptation, and socioeconomic factors, but knowledge of their fertility behavior is limited. … Read more
Progress in education has been uneven in sub-Saharan Africa, which may have contributed to slowing or halting fertility decline. Bruno Schoumaker and David A. Sánchez-Páez note that fertility has stalled … Read more