Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research

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.

New Position | September 07, 2026

Alyson van Raalte and Kieron Barclay appointed new Editors-in-Chief of Population Studies

Starting September 1, 2026, Alyson van Raalte and Kieron Barclay will succeed longtime editor John Ermisch in leading the journal 'Population Studies'. More

September

Scientific Presentations

LabTalks@SocialDemography

Laura Gimeno from the University College London gives a talk. More

All Events

Recommended Readings | September 14, 2026

Comparison of Microsimulated and Register-based Kinship Data

IDEM 187 - Call for Application

Topics in Digital and Computational Demography

Introduction to our research groups

Migration and Health Inequalities

News | September 02, 2026

Worried About the Environment, but Still Becoming Parents

Strong environmental concerns generally did not keep young people from becoming parents. These worries tended to fade with age among parents and non-parents alike. Whether today’s younger generations will follow the same pattern remains an open question. More

Selected Publications

Sobotka, T.; Zeman, K.; Jasilioniene, A.; Winkler-Dworak, M.; Brzozowska, Z.; Alustiza Galarza, A.; Németh, L.; Jdanov, D. A.:

Pandemic roller-coaster? Birth trends in higher-income countries during the COVID-19 pandemic Population and Development Review 50:S1, 23–58. (2024)

Li, P.; Myrskylä, M.; Martikainen, P.:

Long-term environmental background radiation is associated with urinary tract cancer incidence: a population-based study from Finland Cancer Epidemiology 99:102912, 1–10. (2025)

More Publications

Career

Open Positions

Anniversary

30 Years MPIDR in Rostock

Questions and Answers

Being a Researcher at the MPIDR

Working at MPIDR

Life & Research in Rostock

New Issue 2/2026 available | June 30, 2026

The Quarterly German Newsletter

A peer-reviewed, open-access journal of population sciences

MPIDR

Online Databases

Doctoral Program

International Max Planck Research School for Population, Health and Data Science

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