David Coleman

Teaching Interests: Demography is the statistical study of human reproduction and death, of populations and their growth and structure. It connects the dynamics of population growth and structure with the social and economic causes and consequences of population trends and hence to issues of great interest and practical importance.

Demography is a compulsory part of the Prelim and the Final Honours School of the Human Sciences degree and an option for PPE and for Economics and Management. David offers tutorials to students from all these courses and he also gives most of the university lectures in the subject. Tutorials typically cover historical patterns, for example the unique West European pattern of marriage and household; the analysis of mortality and fertility; computer simulation of population dynamics; the causes and consequences of low fertility and the ageing of populations in the developed countries; international migration; the demographic transition to low birth and death rates in the third world; problems of excessive or inadequate rates of population growth and policy responses to them.

David is currently working on a book on Europe's Population in the 21st Century, an update of my book on 'The British Population' with John Salt at UCL, and various other publications.

Research Interests: David's research interests include the comparative demographic trends of the industrial world, particularly the reasons for the persistence of substantial international differences in birth and death rates. He is also interested in immigration trends and policies and the demography of ethnic minorities. He is working on population projections of the ethnic minority populations of the UK and other topics.

David was formerly lecturer in Physical Anthropology at University College London and has worked for the government and as a consultant for the Home Office, for the United Nations and elsewhere. Further information on research, working papers and demographic data.

Further information on research, working papers and demographic date.