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  • News | 15 Jun 2023

Global survey on the drivers and consequences of demographic change

Migration and Demography
IIASA survey image
Global survey by IIASA, JRC and UNDESA on demographic change (@©boyhey – Adobe Stock.com, ©rob z – Adobe Stock.com)

Many global trends - including economic, environmental, social and geopolitical trends - depend on the future of the world population. Effectively assessing the future world population is therefore key to better responding to future societal challenges.

Current long-term global population projections are based on a variety of methodologies and assumptions employed by leading demography institutions, and yield varied results in terms of projected population size and structure - in particular for projections for the second half of the 21st century.

This diversity in projections can be attributed to wider uncertainties around the long-term future, as well as the scientific wealth in the field of population dynamics. Nevertheless, there is a need to understand and reflect on the parameters and assumptions on which these projections are based on. This also applies to the implications of uncertainties for EU and global population policies.
 
The International Institute of Applied System Analysis (IIASA), the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) and the Population Division of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) are carrying out a joint survey addressed to world experts in demography on the main assumptions on future fertility, mortality and migration in world countries and regions.

The survey, titled ‘Global Demography Expert Survey. Drivers and Consequences of Demographic Change’ also invites experts to express their opinion on the consequences of demographic change for climate change, environmental sustainability and the economy as well as the role of population policies to address them.

The survey is addressed to the main international associations in population studies and the results of the survey will be available in September 2023 in a dedicated report.

If you want to have more details on this initiative or if you are an expert in demography and are interested to take part in the survey, please feel to contact us at:

EC-kcmd@ec.europa.eu

The survey will be open until 31 July 2023.