Immigrant's ages and the structure of stationary populations with below-replacement fertility

Demography. 1992 Nov;29(4):595-612.

Abstract

A sustained regime of low fertility plus immigration yields an unusual kind of stationary population. The author demonstrates that all stationary populations have a common structure, and that the familiar replacement-level fertility population is the youngest among the many stationary populations corresponding to a particular life table. This finding has important consequences for policy because although fertility increase and immigration are equally effective at halting population decline, immigration is inferior as a means of rejuvenating low-fertility populations. In fact, an immigration-based policy could make a low-fertility population older rather than younger. The paper includes examples using U.S. and West German vital rates.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Age Factors
  • Aged
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Demography*
  • Emigration and Immigration / statistics & numerical data*
  • Ethnicity / statistics & numerical data
  • Female
  • Fertility*
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Middle Aged
  • Models, Statistical