Department of Demography

 

Demography is the scientific study of how populations grow, shrink, and evolve over time. It analyses and mathematically models the various structures of human populations by age, sex, place of residence, level of education and other key demography characteristics. It focuses on fertility, mortality and migration as determinants of population size and structure, and on the mechanisms driving their change. By linking past, present and future population dynamics to society, the economy and the environment, demography plays a crucial role in understanding the changes shaping today’s global world. 

The Department of Demography combines demographic research and teaching within the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Vienna. It also serves as the university-based pillar of the Wittgenstein Centre for Demography and Global Human Capital (IIASA, OeAW, University of Vienna), which holds an international reputation in the field.

News

Congratulations to Elisabeth Teichert, who won the WIC Master Students Poster Award 2023 with her work "Years of life lost to alcohol in the UK: sex...

On 10 November 2022 Wolfgang Lutz received an Honorary Doctorate of Arts in Demography from Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand.

Population Europe brings together population experts to explore questions from the major demographic changes in the last decades to future dynamics.

Eva Beaujouan received the Jan M. Hoem Award for her outstanding achievements on the intersection of social policy and family demography.

Sonja Spitzer was honoured with the prestigious Maria Schaumayer Stiftung award for her excellent doctoral dissertation.

Older people in particular often overestimate their health. New findings by Sonja Spitzer and Mujaheed Shaikh.