Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research

The Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research is located in Rostock, Germany. It was founded in 1996 and moved into new buildings in Rostock in 2002. It is one of approximately 80 institutes of the Max Planck Society.The MPIDR is jointly led by founding director James Vaupel and Mikko Myrskylä, who in 2014 followed Joshua R. Goldstein who had in 2007 taken the post of retired Jan Hoem.History and backgroundAfter the Institut national d'études démographiques, the MPIDR is the largest demographic research body in Europe and one of the largest in the world. Conducting basic research into demographic processes, it analyzes the underlying causes of demographic change, describes contemporary demographic trends, produces forecasts for the future direction of demographic processes, highlights the potential consequences facing society, and assists decision-makers in the various political and social institutions by providing them with solid information and expert advice.Currently, the MPIDR houses eight research laboratories: Evolutionary Biodemography, Survival and Longevity, Economic and Social Demography, Contemporary European Fertility and Family Dynamics, Demographic Data, Statistical Demography, Population and Policy, and Historical Demography.The institute is participating in four international doctoral training programs: The International Max Planck Research School for Demography, the European Doctoral School of Demography (EDSD), the MaxNet Aging Research School (MNARS), and the PhD program Demography at Rostock University.