Towards a transdisciplinary demographic theory of birth and death trajectories

Towards a transdisciplinary demographic theory of birth and death trajectories Birth and death appear to be separate processes that frame life from opposite ends. Yet, recent evidence on joint trends suggests potential connections. This project hypothesises that birth and death patterns share common determinants. To test this, formal demographic methods are applied to systematically investigate whether known regular patterns in mortality also hold for fertility. The project further explores shared regularities in birth and death patterns of collectives, defined as groups of individuals that can form and dissolve. By contributing demographic evidence for shared determinants of birth and death patterns, the project’s results will inform research on targeted interventions to jointly improve future reproductive ageing and healthy lifespan. It will also aid coherent population forecasting in a fast-changing world.