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 | 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
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Preparatory courses at the MPIDR
European Doctoral School of Demography (EDSD)
The European Doctoral School of Demography is an eleven-month sponsored program that is offered every year aiming to provide students with an appropriate high-level education in demography to pursue their doctoral studies. Students will acquire a solid knowledge base on the causes and consequences of demographic change, population data, statistical and mathematical demography, as well as modeling, simulation, and forecasting. More
All Events
Conference
MPIDR@ALAP2026
New Issue 2/2026 available | June 30, 2026
The Quarterly German Newsletter
Introduction to our research groups
Population Dynamics and Sustainable Well-Being
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
Selected Publications
Micheletti, C.; Villavicencio, F.:
On the relationship between life expectancy, modal age at death, and the threshold age of the life table entropy Demographic Research 51:24, 763–788. (2024)
Loi, S.; Li, P.; Myrskylä, M.:
Unequal weathering: how immigrants’ health advantage vanishes over the life-course Journal of Migration and Health 11:100303, 1–11. (2025)
More Publications
Recommended Readings | April 02, 2026
Family Complexity Influences Health in Mid-Adulthood
30 years MPIDR
Invitation: The Challenge of Demographic Change – How Our Society Is Changing
Questions and Answers
Being a Researcher at the MPIDR
Working at MPIDR
Life & Research in Rostock
MPIDR
Online Databases
A peer-reviewed, open-access journal of population sciences
Jobs & Fellowships
Doctoral Program
International Max Planck Research School for Population, Health and Data Science
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