Population Council | Policy Research Division

DIVISIONS
Policy Research Division

The broad aims of the Population Council's Policy Research Division (PRD) are to marshal social science expertise toward a better understanding of population issues and to promote application of that knowledge to the design and implementation of policies and programs responsive to individual and societal needs. The division undertakes analyses of population policy, demographic behavior, and interrelationships between population and socioeconomic change, often in collaboration with colleagues in developing countries. Population policy is defined broadly as the full range of government actions with a potential population effect. In addition to analyzing policy, division staff members study critical issues related to policy formation, such as the determinants and consequences of demographic change at the individual and societal level.

The division’s work on the transition to adulthood documents and explores trends related to key events of adolescence, including sexual initiation, school-leaving, formal employment, marriage, and first birth. Particular emphasis is given to understanding the effects of availability of schooling, work opportunities, and reproductive health services on adolescent lives.

Fertility and reproductive behavior is another key focus of the division’s work. Research examines global fertility trends and their causes and consequences, the determinants of family size, the factors underlying the unmet need for contraception, and the measurement of sexual behavior. Experimental research seeks to improve program design and performance for both family planning and child survival.

Rapid population aging is creating new challenges for societies seeking to secure the health and well-being of the elderly. A principal goal of the division’s expanding program in this area is to identify and assess new policies and programs that ensure the sustainability of public and private support systems for the elderly.

John Bongaarts, vice president, heads the Policy Research Division. Cynthia B. Lloyd is director of social science research. The division’s staff includes demographers, economists, and sociologists with expertise in the population issues of developing countries. In addition, two social science fellows work in the New York office.

Research Areas