Oxford Centre for Population Research

The aim of the Centre is to promote research into the demographic problems that face the developed countries of the world in the 21st century, to monitor and project their trends, analyse their underlying causes and consequences and evaluate the challenges and opportunities that they present.

A longer-term aim is to promote more speculative forward thinking and demographic 'trouble-shooting' about future demographic issues as well as conventional scientific research, including the stability of demographic systems and their relation to the physical and economic environment.

In the 21st century new demographic developments, unprecedented in history, face the fifty countries of the developed world. These trends may be summarised as 'fewer babies, longer lives, diverse households, older populations, more immigrants', all of which raise important theoretical issues and practical problems. It is generally supposed that most of these characteristics will eventually be shared by all human populations. Within the developed world itself, however, divergence is often more apparent than convergence, pointing to some diversity in population futures. For a discusion of some of these issues see Working Papers nos. 10, 17, and 33.

An integrated programme of research is being developed, incorporating existing work and new initiatives all oriented to contemporary and future population related developments in the UK and the rest of the developed world.

Researchers:

• Professor David Coleman
• Dr Sylvie Dubuc
• Dr Stuart Basten

Research Associates:

• Mr J Haskey
• Dr Anna Rotkirch
• Professor Robert Rowthorn