How fast will the number of people aged ninety and above increase during the coming decades? Are people consciously planning which part of the year they want their children to be born in? Can the origin of surnames tell us something about immigration patterns at a time when migration statistics were inexistent? Will the institution of marriage become extinct as a result of young people's acceptance of childbearing in cohabiting unions? These are some of the questions asked in this collection of articles by demographers working on the Nordic countries. The Nordic region is of special interest in international demographic research for several reasons. First and foremost, population statistics are probably of better quality here than anywhere else in the world and they go back a very long time. Second, the Nordic countries have been at the forefront of the dramatic changes in family life that are often referred to as the 'second demographic transition'. Lastly, there is an active community of demographic researchers and practitioners in universities, government statistical institutions, and research institutes throughout the Nordic countries. This volume is based on papers given at the 14th Nordic Demographic Symposium held in Tjøme, Norway in May 2001. The volumes of Scandinavian Population Studies have been published by the Nordic Demographic Society following the symposiums, which have been organized on a regular basis since 1968.
Carling, Jørgen (2002) Nordic demography: Trends and differentials. Oslo: Nordic Demographic Society. Scandinavian Population Studies.
