Demography and economics

Abstract

In industrialized societies such as the U.K., demographic, social and economic characteristics and changes are closely interrelated, but the study of their interconnections is often strangely neglected. Demographic research and economic research are too often carried out in separate compartments: and the same is true of teaching in the two subjects. Economists work on many problems which have important demographic aspects, without a full appreciation of the contribution which a knowledge of more sophisticated demographic analysis could make to their studies. Equally, demographic studies are often designed without regard to questions of interest to economists, or without resort to methods of analysis which economists employ and which might assist them. Too often economists and demographers are simply ignorant of each other's work.