We're a key research and training partner for the Office for National Statistics
We collaborate worldwide on population studies, data science and statistical methods
We advise groups including the World Health Organisation and United Nations agencies
About us
Welcome to the Department of Social Statistics and Demography at the University of Southampton. We are at the forefront of decoding population dynamics and their profound societal impact. Our dedication to impactful research informs social policy, shaping our world.
Ranked globally and in the UK's top 10 for Statistics and Operational Research, our dedication to excellence remains steadfast. With an interdisciplinary outlook, we address real-world challenges, collaborating within our university and beyond.
Our research contributes globally, impacting policy and societies. From family dynamics to health and volunteering, our Demographers and Social Statisticians provide profound insights. Our contemporary methodologies, such as pioneering online surveys, ensure precision.
Collaborations with policymakers and global partners enable us to effectively address challenges. Join us on our journey of inquiry, innovation, and societal transformation.
Knowledge exchange
We share our findings at public events and meetings, and update key stakeholders on important findings.
In the UK, we exchange knowledge with government agencies such as the Department for Work and Pensions and the ONS. Around the world, we work with global organisations including:
- the World Health Organisation
- the United Nations Population Fund
- the Department for International Development
- the United Nations
Advisory roles
We sit on leading scientific and advisory boards in the UK and Europe such as:
Understanding Society and the National Cohort Studies (UK)
- the executive board of the European Statistical Advisory Committee (EU)
- the Research Institute for Official and Survey Statistics (Germany)
- Advisory Committee on Statistical Methods (Italy)
- the Advisory Panel on Consumer Prices (UK)
We work closely with the ONS on research such as:
- consumer price index methods
- population size estimation (particularly in the population census)
- quality of administrative data
- discontinuity estimation for surveys
Our statisticians and demographers advise them on national population projections, and fertility, mortality and migration estimates. Some of our experts are members of their National Population Projections Expert Advisory Group.
Our global health experts advise key non-governmental organisations and national governments to create policy-relevant research and support the translation of new evidence into practice. They work closely with a number of UN bodies including WHO and UNFP and are members of the UN's 'Every Woman, Every Child, Every Adolescent' strategy Adolescent Working Group.
Initiatives we lead
Our department leads major international and national initiatives including:
- ESRC National Centre for Research Methods
- ESRC Centre for Population Change
- Horizon 2020-funded project QuantMig, a group of international universities addressing migration
We have seats on funding panels such as the ESRC Grant Assessment Panels and the European Research Council grant panel.
Editorial boards
We sit on the editorial boards of leading journals for example:
- Demographic Research
- European Journal of Population
- Journal of Survey Statistics and Methodology
- Journal of the Royal Statistical Society A, B, and C
We also review for countless journals in disciplines such as epidemiology, sociology, health, and statistics.
Equality, diversity and inclusion
Principles of equality, diversity and inclusion are at the core of everything we do. The School of Economic, Social and Political Sciences’s Bronze Athena SWAN award recognises our commitment to this mission.
Whatever your background, we'll help you:
- flourish in your career
- enrich your learning
- gain an in-depth understanding of global politics
Our courses
Contribute to research in the field of social statistics and demography, by completing a PhD with us.
Our research
Learn about our research. You can also explore departmental work through our research groups.
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Social statistics and demography research
Find out how our demographers and statisticians change and inform social policy. We specialise in family and fertility, migration and mobility, health and mortality and statistical methodology.
Our research community
Expore the research groups and centres we work closely with. They bring together specialists to share knowledge and solve problems. Browse publications, projects, staff profiles and more.
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Centre for Eastern European and Eurasian Studies
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Centre for Population Change
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Demographic and Migration Modelling
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Family and Social Demography
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Global Health (Demography)
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Methodological Innovation: Survey Methods and Official Statistics
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National Centre for Research Methods
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Southampton Geospatial
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Statistical Sciences Research Institute (S3RI)
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Sustainability and Resilience Institute
People
Our excellent team of researchers use quantitative and qualitative methods to understand data and how they are generated, to investigate important social questions in an objective way.
Working with colleagues and students who enjoy the scientific and technical challenges of using longitudinal population, family, and health data is a pleasure.
In our interdisciplinary research and teaching, we are dedicated to addressing pressing issues of our time by means of cutting-edge quantitative methods that describe, explain, and ultimately change the world for the better.
I love working in Social Statistics and Demography where my research addresses healthcare challenges in low-income countries and makes progress towards meeting the Sustainable Development Goals.
In the context of global health crises, increasing social inequality, and rising racial injustice, my colleagues and I are doing our best to understand human population dynamics and train a new generation of informed scholars.
Work with us
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Jobs at Southampton
Find out about opportunities within the Department of Social Statistics and Demography.
