Comparative European Demography

Dimiter Philipov

The task of this research group is to carry out comparative studies on European demography. Specifically of interest are the Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries.

Currently research is being done on the following major themes:

Tempo and Quantum of Fertility in Europe

The main purpose of this theme is to learn more about the tempo-free level of period fertility, postponement of births, childlessness, and fertility »recuperation« among women in later stages of the reproductive span. Construction and maintenance of a detailed European-wide fertility database is undertaken in conjunction with this research. more

Family and Gender

This theme includes a macro-level portrait of the family in Europe based on census data and several micro-level studies: interrelationships between education and first births in the macro-level context specified by welfare stratification, a gender study based on the PPA2 surveys, and gender-specific differences in family formation in France. more

Fertility Ideals and Intentions: Theoretical Approaches and Empirical Results

These studies aim towards the deeper understanding of factors underlying the construction of fertility intentions and the timing of intended births. New theoretical applications, such as social capital and Fischbein-Ajzen theory on intentions, have been developed and used in cooperation with scientists from other countries. Changes in fertility ideals and their impact on realised fertility are studied in a comparative framework both among a large set of European countries as well as among generations. more

Understanding Demographic Change in CEE Countries: Theories and Methods