Demographics deals with the size, composition and development of human populations.

Studies in Demographics will provide you with practical skills in accounting and analysing quantitative data on population and society. An understanding of population processes and demographic methods is extremely useful in conducting analyses and planning. At Åbo Akademi University, Demographics is an independent minor subject and can be studied up to the subject level (60 cr). At other universities, demographics is usually an area of specialisation within sociology or statistics.

Basic level studies will provide you with basic knowledge, while subject-level studies focus on various areas of specialisation in line with your own interests. The only prerequisite for basic level courses is proficiency in elementary mathematics, such as the calculation of percentages.  Despite the fact that demographics is a quantitative science, there are other alternatives in subject level studies that do not require any comprehensive mathematical skills. You must nevertheless be prepared to work with a large amount of numerical materials for the presentation of figures and tables, primarily using Excel.