Policy Insights

Pension reform is one of the most difficult and politically charged areas of social policy. This is true not only in the United States, where social security has been called the "third rail of American politics" – touch it and you die –, but also in many European countries. Changing the rules of retirement, such as pension ages and benefit levels, is unpopular and a tough sell for governments; raising pensions and allowing people to stop working earlier, by contrast, is a good way to make friends and builds support among an ageing electorate.

If we may, we’d like to start this interview with a challenge. Explain to me, in as few words as possible, the rational—the raision d’être—behind public health policy. AV: To be very short, public health policy should make people's lives, in terms of health problems, as boring as possible so they can live out their normal lives, so they can spend time with their family, so they can work. I would say this is the most general definition of public health.

“We should see large ethnic minority families as an asset for our low-fertility societies and ensure that these families are supported,” argues Hill Kulu, Professor at the University of Liverpool, in his exclusive interview for Population Europe. He offers a practical example: "In the UK, the housing stock mostly consists of two and three-bedroom houses; four-bedroom houses are seen as a luxury, but they are essential for many ethnic minority families to avoid overcrowding."

by Agnes Uhereczky Let’s begin with a challenge. Find for me a working parent or carer who has not experienced some form of negative treatment from their boss or co-workers because of their caring responsibilities. This can range from sarcastic comments to outright demotion. I expect there are few.

by Amparo González-Ferrer Spanish emigration has captured headlines in recent years. It is understandable considering how historically emotive the phenomenon has become in a country so many were forced to leave throughout the 20th century. But the situation of Spain’s own immigrant population also deserves some reflection.

by James W. Vaupel Everyone talks about our new life courses in view of increasing life expectancy – but what about reconciliation of family and career? In numerous sectors of the economy and other branches of society, many of the leading positions are predominantly occupied by men. This has led to, for example, debates about obligatory quota regulations within the governing boards of listed companies to allow females to break through the so-called “glass ceiling” of gender-specific career paths.

Population science is a fortunate discip­line, methodologically speaking. As demo­graphers, we enjoy a wealth of available data and our subjects—birth, partnership, death, movement—are fairly clear cut. They are also easily subjected to interna­tional comparisons, which offer insight into general and country-specific trends.

Relationships are thought to be an important indication of integration. Since the beginning of the European project, political scientists have in fact suggested that the development of a European identity could be strengthened by marriages between two people from different European countries. It’s tricky to measure, though, so we’ve had only anecdotes until now. Our study offers figures [1].

by Jakub Bijak Forced migration, related to armed conflict or persecution is unpredictable [1]. Crises such as the recent one in Syria happen frequently all over the world, forcing many people to flee and seek asylum outside of their home countries. In the Syrian case, over four million refugees have already been registered outside of Syria by October 2015.

“Demography is destiny” is a well-known expression. It suggests change is inex­orable, somehow unchangeable, subject only to inertia. But demography can be fast.