ESRC Centre for Population Change and Connecting Generations

ESRC Centre for Population Change and Connecting Generations

@cpc-cg.bsky.social

Improving understanding of the drivers & implications of population change & intergenerational connectivity. Funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) UKRI, incl. Unis of Southampton, St Andrews, Stirling, Oxford, and Resolution Foundation.

1,075 Followers 1,069 Following 316 Posts Joined Nov 2024
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13 hours ago
A promotional graphic for the CPC–CG seminar series. On the left, a classroom scene shows an audience seated and one person raising a hand while listening to a presenter. On the right, a blue panel displays the Centre for Population Change and Connecting Generations logos, along with seminar details: “Julia Behrman, Northwestern University. Mapping the strength and character of the norm to have children: Evidence from the US. Online, 19 March, 15:00–16:00 GMT.

🧑‍🏫 Join us next week on 19 March for our #CPCCGWebinar with Julia Behrman of Northwestern University

Julia will discuss mapping the strength and character of the norm to have children, drawing on evidence from the US.

Join us online - register at: www.cpc.ac.uk/activities/e... @bspsuk.bsky.social

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1 day ago
A collage of screenshots highlighting recent news and media appearances from CPC-CG members. The collage includes multiple article snippets, podcast tiles, and social media graphics. In the top left, there is an article preview about David Bell interviewed on the “Key Figures” podcast, alongside the Fraser of Allander Institute logo. Next to it is a headline announcing two professors appointed to REF 2029 Social Sciences sub‑panels. Beneath these, a brightly coloured “Certain Futures” podcast tile with an embedded play button is shown. A text box below discusses Carers Rights Day and the role of unpaid carers. In the middle row, there is a headline about discussing intergenerational economic injustice on BBC Radio 4, At the bottom, a section titled “Insights into “Insights into event history analysis” appears next to the National Centre for Research Methods logo and another video tile labelled “Harmonised Histories.”

🌟 Did you discover our 'Researcher spotlight' in the latest issue of Changing Populations, our newsletter magazine? If not, you missed some great interviews, announcements and resources 🌟

▶️ Navigate to section 10 to read the full round-up: sway.cloud.microsoft/WzAYgcw05ELX... @bspsuk.bsky.social

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1 day ago
A collage of screenshots highlighting recent news and media appearances from CPC-CG members. The collage includes multiple article snippets, podcast tiles, and social media graphics. In the top left, there is an article preview about David Bell interviewed on the “Key Figures” podcast, alongside the Fraser of Allander Institute logo. Next to it is a headline announcing two professors appointed to REF 2029 Social Sciences sub‑panels. Beneath these, a brightly coloured “Certain Futures” podcast tile with an embedded play button is shown. A text box below discusses Carers Rights Day and the role of unpaid carers. In the middle row, there is a headline about discussing intergenerational economic injustice on BBC Radio 4, At the bottom, a section titled “Insights into “Insights into event history analysis” appears next to the National Centre for Research Methods logo and another video tile labelled “Harmonised Histories.”

🌟 Did you discover our 'Researcher spotlight' in the latest issue of Changing Populations, our newsletter magazine? If not, you missed some great interviews, announcements and resources 🌟

▶️ Navigate to section 10 to read the full round-up: sway.cloud.microsoft/WzAYgcw05ELX... @bspsuk.bsky.social

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1 day ago
Screenshot of a UK Parliament webpage titled ‘Transition to State Pension age’ under the Work and Pensions Committee. The page displays the following inquiry text: ‘The last time the State Pension age went up there was a jump in the number of pre-pensioners (people aged 60+ but below pension age) in poverty. This group are the joint poorest among working age adults. We are launching this inquiry to consider the case for providing additional support for people in the pre-pensioner age group to bridge the income gap as the State Pension age starts to rise from 66 to 67 in April.’ A link at the bottom reads: ‘Read the call for evidence for more detail about the inquiry

" #Policymakers need to account for different #demographic characteristics that individuals bring when transitioning to #statepension age," say CPC-CG and @cra-soton.bsky.social researchers in evidence submitted to the #Work and #Pensions Committee inquiry: committees.parliament.uk/writtenevide...

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1 day ago
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Sage Journals: Discover world-class research Subscription and open access journals from Sage, the world's leading independent academic publisher.

Further reading in the journal paper 'The uncertainty of forced displacement: How language and violence shaped displacement trajectories during #Russia's invasion of #Ukraine' by @bperelli-harris.bsky.social and Orsola Torrisi: journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...

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1 day ago
YouTube
Forced displacement in Ukraine: Decisions, measurement, and uncertainty - Brienna Perelli-Harris YouTube video by Centre for Population Change Connecting Gens

🎞️ New video: @bperelli-harris.bsky.social (@uossocstatdemo.bsky.social) discusses how #Russia’s invasion has uprooted millions of #Ukrainians

Drawing on studies on the uncertainty of forced #migration in #Ukraine, she gives insights into how different measurements and tools reflect lived realities.

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1 week ago
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👩‍🔬🤵‍♀️👩‍⚖️ For International Women’s Day @nuffieldcollege.bsky.social will host @melindacmills.bsky.social for a talk entitled "How to Be Brilliant Without Being Behaved".

More details:
www.demography.ox.ac.uk/news/melinda...

#IWD2026 #WomenInScience #Demography

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1 week ago
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Want to keep up with what’s happening in the Department of Social Statistics and Demography?

We regularly share research highlights, student stories, and opportunities on our LinkedIn page.

Follow us here 👇

www.linkedin.com/company/depa...

#WeAreUoS #SocialStatistics #Demography #GlobalHealth

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3 days ago
Image is a screenshot from the Changing Populations magazine. There is a headshot of Shu Li to the right of the article, alongside the article text which starts: PhD journeys. Shu Li is a PhD student in the Department of Social Statistics and Demography at the University of Southampton. Her research aims to link social media and fertility behaviour in China. Shu's PhD project is supervised by Professor Ann Berrington, Dr Jason Hilton, and Professor Sarah Neal. Here, she shares her research interests so far. "When pursuing my Bachelor's degree in Law at Liaoning University in China, I gained an understanding of how laws and policies are designed and applied. I became increasingly interested in how legal systems regulate social behaviour through formal rules, particularly concerning social issues such as marriage and family responsibilities. This prompted my aspiration to pursue sociology-related studies. Developing my interest in research on reproductive behaviour and demography, I then completed my Master's studies in Sociology and Social Policy at the University of Southampton. I learned about the relationship between modernity and sociology, and enriched my theoretical knowledge and research skills by covering subjects such as welfare state regimes, the Theory of Planned Behaviour, gendering neoliberalism, life course theory, and data analysis. At that time, to address the demographic challenges posed by an ageing population and low fertility rates, China introduced a three-child policy after the universal two-child policy had been in place for five years. By integrating theoretical knowledge with real-world observations and drawing on extensive relevant literature, I recognised that low fertility and ageing are interrelated demographic processes profoundly influenced by shifting marital patterns, gender norms, economic pressures, cultural and policy contexts, and expectations of intergenerational support. This led me to focus my research interests on demography. …

📝 In every issue of Changing Populations, we share a #PhD journey from one of our members. This time, Shu Li from @uossocstatdemo.bsky.social @unisouthampton.bsky.social gives us insight into her research career.

Full article in our 'Researcher spotlight': sway.cloud.microsoft/WzAYgcw05ELX...

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1 week ago
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London contemplates ‘childless’ future as families leave British capital Unaffordable housing and childcare costs are driving young families away. Read more at straitstimes.com. Read more at straitstimes.com.

🗞️ 🗞️ @bernicerunsonboba.bsky.social, research fellow in @uossocstatdemo.bsky.social @uosmedia.bsky.social, told the report’s authors that people are waiting to have #children because it takes longer “to establish yourself in your #career, to buy a #house, to leave the #parentalhome”. Full story 👇

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CPC member @bernicerunsonboba.bsky.social from @uossocstatdemo.bsky.social was one of three experts invited to give evidence to the London Assembly's investigation into the declining number of #children in #London. Read her comments and recommendations in the Committee's report launched today ⤵️

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Cover of a London Assembly report titled “A London for every child: Reversing the city’s declining child population”, published March 2026 by the Economy, Culture and Skills Committee. Below the title, a photo shows children climbing and playing on a large wooden adventure play structure made of interlocking logs. The London Assembly logo appears at the bottom.

📑 New @londonassembly.bsky.social report 'A #London for every child: Reversing the city’s declining #child #population' has comments and recommendations from CPC member @bernicerunsonboba.bsky.social from @uossocstatdemo.bsky.social @uosmedia.bsky.social

Full story: www.cpc.ac.uk/news/latest_...

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Yesterday @melindacmills.bsky.social delivered the Richard Doll Seminar🎓🎤 about the "Our Future Health" data.

She outlined the exciting prospects of large-scale health data and her analysis of representativeness of the biobank population to a packed room, full of interested questions.

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1 week ago
YouTube
Studying Social Statistics and Demography at the University of Southampton YouTube video by Social Sciences - University of Southampton

🎥 What’s it like to study an MSc with us?

Hear directly from Olivia (MSc Global Health) and Amelia (MSc Social Research Methods with Demography) about their experience in our department, from supportive teaching to community and growing confidence as researchers.

▶️: www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfde...

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1 week ago
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New LCDS Preprint Asks: Has COVID-19 Left a Lasting Scar on Life Expectancy? Five years after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, an important question remains: was COVID-19 a short-lived mortality shock, or has it more permanently altered life expectancy trajectories? A new p...

Five years after the pandemic began, have countries returned to their pre-COVID life expectancy trajectories?

New research shows 31 of 34 high-income countries still have life expectancy deficits in 2024, suggesting lasting effects on population health.

www.demography.ox.ac.uk/news/new-lcd...

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1 week ago
Screenshot from Changing Populations newsletter which has an image showing a woman in bed looking distressed as she tries to sleep while the sun shines onto the bed, with the headline 'Night shift work and sleep'. Article intro text reads: Research by CG Co-Director Professor Melinda Mills MBE has found that night shift work is linked to shorter sleep duration among middle-aged and older adults, with women, parents, and less-educated workers facing the greatest impact. As part of her European Research Council (ERC) CHRONO and Leverhulme Centre for Demographic Science (LCDS) work, the research co-authored by Professor Mills draws on data from 217,863 participants in the UK Biobank. Findings show that night shift workers, on average, sleep eight minutes less per night than non-shift workers. While seemingly modest, this reduction compounds over years of work and has profound health implications. The research identifies multiple moderating factors that shape how night shift work affects sleep:

🌃 “ #Sleep is often overlooked in discussions of work and health, yet it's a fundamental way #stress translates into disease," says @melindacmills.bsky.social from @oxforddemsci.bsky.social in the latest Changing Populations.

Read the full story in section 9: sway.cloud.microsoft/WzAYgcw05ELX...

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1 week ago
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A recent study led by @jo-hale.bsky.social finds causal evidence that reducing social isolation, especially among those living alone, has a protective effect against cognitive decline. The mechanism, however, goes beyond addressing loneliness.

🔗 Learn more: academic.oup.com/psychsocgero...

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1 week ago
Demography and Human Capital

The Wittgenstein Centre have announced CPC-CG member @ann-berrington.bsky.social as their first #WICConference2026 keynote speaker, exploring how #education, #family trajectories, and life course decisions shape societies and opportunities over time.

Find out more @demographyvienna.bsky.social ⬇️

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1 week ago
Image shows screenshot from Changing Populations newsletter of two people are embracing closely in front of warmly lit holiday decorations, including blurred golden lights and a decorated Christmas tree. Over the top of the image is a white banner with black text reading: ‘Reducing social isolation protects the brain in later life.’ To the right of the image, a large white text panel contains the following text: ‘CG member Dr Jo Mhairi Hale is the lead author of a newly published study which has found that reducing social isolation protects the brain in later life. The study, published in The Journals of Gerontology, Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, found a consistent pattern: higher social isolation causes faster cognitive decline whether or not people identify as lonely. Social isolation is objectively measurable—for example, by availability, membership in community organisations, and religious practice. Loneliness is subjective and defined as feeling isolated from other people (feeling alone). Whilst loneliness and social isolation often go together, in this study, they appear to have independent and opposite associations. Dr Hale, based at the University of St Andrews, alongside researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research in Germany and University of Texas in the U.S., analysed data from the US Health and Retirement study, a study of 18,953 cognitively functioning adults between 2004 and 2016 who provided interviews. They found that reducing social isolation has a protective effect on cognitive function for all.

In the latest issue of Changing Populations, we report on a study by CG member @jo-hale.bsky.social from @standrewssgsd.bsky.social which has found that reducing social isolation protects the brain in later life.

Head to section 8 to find out more: sway.cloud.microsoft/WzAYgcw05ELX...

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1 week ago
Screenshot from the CPC-CG newsletter magazine Changing Populations. Shows people standing in a queue outdoors on a paved pedestrian walkway beside stone buildings. Individuals wear winter clothing and face toward a building entrance in the distance. The image is split, with the left showing the queue and the right showing a large white text box containing printed text. At the top left, over the image, a white banner reads: ‘The global promise of Our Future Health.’ The text on the right side reads: ‘A recently published article co-authored by CG Co-Director Professor Melinda Mills MBE and CG member Dr Stefania Bennisondottir highlights the potential of one of the UK’s new flagship health research programmes, Our Future Health. Published in Nature Genetics, the article by Vincent Sitrudo, Dr Bennisondottir, Professor Augustine Kong, and Professor Mills from the Leverhulme Centre for Demographic Science (LCDS) at the University of Oxford highlights how Our Future Health’s unprecedented scale and reach across the UK population makes it uniquely placed to overcome long-standing limits in genomic research. Our Future Health is a collaboration between the public, charity and private sectors to build the UK’s largest health research programme, bringing people together to develop new ways to prevent, detect and treat diseases. By combining genetic information with health, lifestyle, and health record data, the resource offers unique new opportunities for discoveries.

"The sheer scale and ambition to reach 5 million people, coupled with #surveys, #health records, #genetics & future multi-omic data is unprecedented."

@melindacmills.bsky.social highlights the potential of Our Future Health in the latest Changing Populations: sway.cloud.microsoft/WzAYgcw05ELX...

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📈 Nationally, the proportion of households led by over-65s will increase from 29% to 35% by 2047, according to Telegraph analysis.

CPC-CG Director @janefalkingham.bsky.social and CG Co-Director @melindacmills.bsky.social discuss the complexities of the UK's #ageingpopulation ⬇️ @bspsuk.bsky.social

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2 weeks ago
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🚨 A defining moment for global health data.

The termination of the #USAID-supported Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) Program has wide-ranging consequences. We reflect on the collapse and argue what should come next in a new PNAS: doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2…

📊 9,000+ studies

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2 weeks ago

I am really pleased to join the editorial team of the 'European Studies of Population' book series - please do reach out if you are thinking of publishing a book!

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Check out these three exciting #PhD studentships in the School of Geography and Sustainable Development, fully funded by the @ukri.org @sgsss.bsky.social

More information here: www.sgsss.ac.uk/studentships...

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2 weeks ago
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The Population Post | February 2026 Welcome to The Population Post, a monthly round-up from the ESRC Centre for Population Change and Connecting Generations, featuring just some of our latest research and activities that you may have mi...

📨 If you are a LinkedIn user, make sure you subscribe to our new LinkedIn newsletter 'The Population Post', a monthly round-up of our research and activities: www.linkedin.com/pulse/popula...

You can also follow our page at: www.linkedin.com/company/esrc...

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2 weeks ago
A teal report cover featuring the CPC (Centre for Population Change) logo and the Connecting Generations logo at the top. The title reads: “Understanding intergenerational co-residence in the UK: New insights from the UK Generations and Gender Survey.” A grey footer bar contains “108” on the left, labelled “Working Paper,” and “Nov 2024” on the right.

... CPC also interviewed young adults living at home for the UK Generations and Gender Survey

Responses suggest that while economic reasons are most common, a significant minority are happy living with parent(s) and not ready to move out
www.cpc.ac.uk/res/docs/WP1... @uossocstatdemo.bsky.social 🧵🛑

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2 weeks ago
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Labour market insecurity and parental co-residence in the United Kingdom: heterogeneities by parental class and age Abstract. Amidst young adults’ increasing labour market insecurity and rates of parental co-residence, this article examines how unemployment and underexpl

... Research by CPC-CG members @ann-berrington.bsky.social and @vincentrramos.bsky.social finds that #unemployment, underemployment and #temporarywork are all linked to higher parental co-residence, but that this is especially true among advantaged young adults in their early and mid-20s 🧵⤵️

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2 weeks ago
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Young less likely to work if they live with parents, says jobs tsar Alan Milburn raises fears over the House of Mum and Dad as the number of those aged 16-24 who are not in work, education or training nears a million

Speaking to Times Radio yesterday, Alan Milburn, chair of a government review into causes of youth #unemployment & inactivity, warns there is “a generation of young people who are out of the #labourmarket, not able to live independently and who are becoming more or less reliant on their parents” 🧵⤵️

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2 weeks ago
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New research shows high temperatures affect sex ratios at birth | 'Temperature and sex ratios at birth', a new study led by researchers at the Department of Sociology at the University of Oxford and published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

NEW: Oxford researchers have found that higher temperatures can shift the sex ratio at birth.

Temperatures above 20°C are consistently linked to fewer boys being born across multiple regions - with implications for population health and gender balance.

Read more from @sociologyoxford.bsky.social ⬇️

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2 weeks ago
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Oxford researchers launch smartphone-based ‘epigames’ for pandemic preparedness Researchers from the Leverhulme Centre for Demographic Science (LCDS), Oxford Population Health at the University of Oxford, working with colleagues from the Pandemic Sciences Institute and internatio...

An experimental approach to pandemic preparedness:

A new @nathealth.nature.com article introduces “Epigames” smartphone-based simulations that model pandemic outbreaks and behavioural responses in real time. 📱🦠

Read more:
www.demography.ox.ac.uk/news/oxford-...

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