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March 13, 2025 | News | Spotlight

A Difficult Childhood Increases the Risk of Dying Early

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In their recent paper, Josephine Jackisch and Alyson van Raalte from the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research (MPIDR) find that a difficult childhood is an important determinant of inequalities in mortality. The size of the contribution is equivalent to established behavioural risk factors such as smoking or little exercise. more

March 12, 2025 | News | Recommended Reading

Online Genealogies for Demographic Research - Potential Benefits and Pitfalls

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In a recent study, Andrea Colasurdo of the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research (MPIDR) and Riccardo Omenti of the University of Bologna examined the potential benefits and pitfalls of using online genealogies for demographic research. Using the FamiLinx database as an example, they investigated how the completeness and quality of demographic information in online genealogy data affects its usability. more

March 11, 2025 | News | SPOTLIGHT

Level of Education and Place of Residence Influence Fertility Rates

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A recent MPIDR study examined differences in fertility between urban and rural areas and the influence of women's educational levels in these regions. Higher levels of education generally lead to lower fertility, although fertility rates are higher in rural areas than in urban areas, regardless of women's education. Taking these factors together in multidimensional population projection model could lead to more accurate population projections and the development of more effective fertility and health policies. more

March 03, 2025 | News | Interview

Age-related Hearing Loss in Europe

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Hearing loss affects one in five adults in Europe and is associated with negative health outcomes such as dementia. A recent study by the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research (MPIDR) examines the influence of education on the prevalence of hearing loss across different European populations. Donata Stonkute, a researcher at MPIDR, and Yana Vierboom (Princeton University) found that educational inequalities in hearing loss vary by age, gender and region. more

February 26, 2025 | News | Recommended Reading

Unhealthy Ageing of Immigrants

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In their paper published in January, Silvia Loi, Peng Li and Mikko Myrskylä from the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research use longitudinal survey data to estimate healthy ageing of immigrants and non-immigrants over the life-course in Germany. It examines the roles of education, income, and marital status, separately for men and women. more

February 19, 2025 | News | Recommended Reading

New Approach Predicts Individual Fertility Behavior from Aggregated Data

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In their paper published in November, Daniel Ciganda and Nicolas Todd present a new approach to identifying individual fertility behavior from aggregate data. This method offers an alternative to traditional macro-level models and provides a better understanding of the drivers that determine fertility patterns. more

February 14, 2025 | News | New Publication

Twin births: A growing trend in low-income countries

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The number of mothers giving birth at an older age is increasing in many countries in sub-Saharan Africa and southern Asia. This leads to a higher likelihood of multiple births, which are mostly twins. A study by the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research (MPIDR) has found that the rate of twin births in low-income countries could increase significantly by 2100 even if the spread of assisted reproductive technology such as IVF remains slow. The findings call for better maternal and perinatal care in these countries. more

February 06, 2025 | News | New Faces at MPIDR

Welcome, Kelsey Wright!

MPIDR

Since January, Kelsey Wright is a new member in the Laboratory of Fertility and Well-Being at the Department of Social Demography. In her research she focuses on family formation and fertility and how they are influenced by inequalities in society. She already had a wonderful start at the Institute with her smart, caring and fantastic coworkers.  more

February 05, 2025 | News | New Faces at MPIDR

Welcome, Benjamin Schlüter!

MPIDR

Benjamin Schlüter is a new member in the Laboratory of Population Dynamics and Sustainable Well-Being at the Department of Digital and Computational Demography. His research interest is particularly focused on health inequalities and vulnerable population groups like orphans. He likes to be close to a river and the sea in Rostock. more

February 03, 2025 | Press Release

Understanding the Increase in Stillbirth Rates in Germany Amid European Declines

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The stillbirth rate in Europe has been steadily improving over the last few decades, but there are some exceptions. In Germany and Belgium, rates have significantly increased since 2010, while other European countries have seen declines or stability. Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research (MPIDR) have investigated how factors like increasing maternal age and multiple births may have influenced these trends and differences across Europe. The analyses indicate that these factors explain only a small portion of the variations. more

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The Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research (MPIDR) in Rostock is one of the leading demographic research centers in the world. It's part of the Max Planck Society, the internationally renowned German research society.