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PopDigests are short, comprehensive summaries of research results with a link to the original publication (if accessible online).
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  • 07/02/2012
    Better tools to deal with longevity
    Europe’s population is getting older and older and this process is accompanied by many economic and social changes. The necessity of modifying pension systems and increasing the pension age are among the most discussed of these changes at the moment. Britain's the Netherlands’, Germany’s, Denmark’s and Spain’s national pension age will increase to 67. Ireland's pension age will even rise to 68. But how can policy makers justify to public those increases in pension age? How will they know how many of the “last years” are likely to spend in good health?
  • 07/02/2012
    Tackling Europe’s Health Divide
    Some European countries, mainly among the new EU member states, have significantly higher mortality rates than others. This gap between ‘old’ and ‘new’ member states is even wider when deaths before the age of 65 are considered. A study by Luc Bonneux, Corina Huisman and Joop de Beer from the Netherlands Interdisciplinary Demographic Institute (NIDI) explores the drivers of Europe’s health divide and evaluates the potential for prevention and improved health in the European Union.
  • 23/01/2012
    Money isn’t everything
    Though it may not be a silver bullet to solve workforce shortages, the migration of highly-skilled individuals around the world is recognised as an important driver of productivity gains, innovation, and entrepreneurship. This motivates governments of EU member states, including the Netherlands, to consider policy changes in order to help attract “knowledge migrants”. In a recent study, Anu Kõu, Leo van Wissen and Ajay Bailey evaluate what drives highly-educated professionals to migrate to the Netherlands. Their results indicate that so-called “knowledge migration” depends on more than just attractive jobs.
  • 20/01/2012
    Scrapheap or Indian Summer
    Accelerating workforce aging raises concern about whether our economies’ future capacity to innovate is endangered. A recent review of the literature and of previous studies by Katharina Frosch on the interplay between workforce age and innovation sheds light on some “do’s and don’ts” for scientists and practitioners when assessing age effects in innovation.
  • 10/01/2012
    Changing Tempo
    Fertility trends in the United Kingdom demonstrate both stability and change. Overall, the birth rate has changed less over recent decades than has the timing of those births, which are occurring much later. In a new study, Máire Ní Bhrolcháin, Éva Beaujouan, and Ann Berrington explain how this trend of postponing starting a family can be better understood by examining women's fertility intentions.
  • 13/12/2011
    Caring for One’s Dears
    Caring for one’s spouse who suffers from long-term physical or mental impairments, giving a hand to an elderly neighbour by assisting with everyday activities in the household or looking after one’s grandchildren – care provided outside of formal care institutions comes in many different guises. In this context, a recent study by Athina Vlachantoni from the University of Southampton sheds light on how, in particular, people in mid and late life fare as providers of informal care.
  • 29/11/2011
    Tick Tock, the Biological Clock?
    People stop having children earlier than their biological clocks warrant. One of the reasons for the discrepancy between potential and achieved childbearing after age 40 could be social stigma. A study by Francesco C. Billari, Alice Goisis, Art C. Liefbroer, Richard A. Settersten, Arnstein Aassve, Gunhild Hagestad, and Zsolt Spéder documents the existence of social age deadlines for childbearing across Europe.
  • 09/11/2011
    How to Pay for the Golden Years
    Europe is ageing rapidly, and in Sweden this development has been especially visible for some time now. By 2050 elderly people will form 26% of the population, and their incomes will be far from sufficient to cover for the public costs they cause say Tommy Bengtsson and Kirk Scott in a recent review article.
  • 02/11/2011
    Slowing Down the Rush Hour of Life
    The dramatic increase in the human lifespan allows a radical rethinking of how and when we work, learn, and raise children. Even though in countries with the highest life expectancy almost half the children born since 2000 have a good chance to see one hundred, our expectations of life and work have yet to alter. Research by James W. Vaupel suggests more work-life flexibility.
  • 24/10/2011
    Secrets of Longevity
    Death has been postponed in most highly developed countries in the world. James W. Vaupel's research review shows that the reasons are not mainly genetic. Prosperity, education and medical treatment play a more decisive role.
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