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
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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
IDEM 187 - Call for Application
Topics in Digital and Computational Demography
Anniversary
30 Years MPIDR in Rostock
Introduction to our research groups
Medical Demography
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
Hünteler, B. M.; Hank, K.; Alburez-Gutierrez, D.; Leopold, T.:
A typology of young adults' nuclear and extended family relations in the United States Journal of Marriage and Family 88:1, 284–298. (2026)
Conte Keivabu, R.; Widmann, T.:
The effect of temperature on language complexity: evidence from seven million parliamentary speeches Iscience 27:6, 1–13. (2024)
More Publications
30 years MPIDR
Invitation: The Challenge of Demographic Change – How Our Society Is Changing
Recommended Readings | April 02, 2026
Family Complexity Influences Health in Mid-Adulthood
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
Career
Open Positions
A peer-reviewed, open-access journal of population sciences
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