demography

noun

de·​mog·​ra·​phy di-ˈmä-grə-fē How to pronounce demography (audio)
sociology
: the statistical study of human populations especially with reference to size and density (see density sense 2c), distribution, and vital statistics
demographer noun

Examples of demography in a Sentence

the shifting demography of Europe
Recent Examples on the Web Nowhere, however, have demography and the politics around it been as fraught as in Bosnia, a small, ethnically fractured nation. Andrew Higgins Vladimir Zivojinovic, New York Times, 28 Feb. 2024 His drill-down, rich in detail and foresight, highlighted the strategic pivot to online advertising revenue which emerged as a growth linchpin, while the industry concurrently navigates geography, demography, and the creation of content that chimes with both. Callum McLennan, Variety, 31 Jan. 2024 Finally, if demography is destiny, the United States has a bright future. Fareed Zakaria, Foreign Affairs, 12 Dec. 2023 For more than a decade, Edsall’s weekly columns in The New York Times have traced the evolution of U.S. politics, culture, demography, and large-scale social and economic change. Foreign Affairs, 18 Apr. 2023 Dowell Myers, a professor of policy, planning and demography at the University of Southern California, argued that demographers (not just SANDAG) are being too pessimistic about future changes to immigration and housing policy. Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Dec. 2023 Many Muslim Kashmiris view the changes as an annexation, saying new laws were designed to change the region’s demography. Aijaz Hussain, The Christian Science Monitor, 11 Dec. 2023 Scientists are studying giraffe demography, diet, behaviour and genetics, and there is a large environmental education programme in Tanzania, the US and Europe. Derek E. Lee, Discover Magazine, 6 Nov. 2023 The underlying elements of national power, such as demography, geography, and natural resources, matter, but history shows that these are not enough to determine which countries will shape the future. Jake Sullivan, Foreign Affairs, 24 Oct. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'demography.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

demo- + -graphy

First Known Use

1880, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of demography was in 1880

Dictionary Entries Near demography

Cite this Entry

“Demography.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/demography. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

demography

noun
de·​mog·​ra·​phy di-ˈmäg-rə-fē How to pronounce demography (audio)
: the statistical study of human populations
demographer noun
demographic
ˌdē-mə-ˈgraf-ik
ˌdem-ə-
adjective

Medical Definition

demography

noun
de·​mog·​ra·​phy di-ˈmäg-rə-fē How to pronounce demography (audio)
plural demographies
: the statistical study of human populations especially with reference to size and density, distribution, and vital statistics
demographer noun

More from Merriam-Webster on demography

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