A Brief Introduction to Demography

Overview: This short course provides a gentle introduction to selected key concepts, measures, and theories of demography. There is a particular emphasis on Australian demography, data sources, and practical issues relevant to government professionals who work with demographic data.

Who the course is for: government demographers, planners, and analysts; other professionals interested in learning about the fundamentals of demography.

Presenter: Dr Tom Wilson

Mode of delivery: in-person only

Location: Sydney CBD

Dates: Wednesday 22nd - Friday 24th October 2025

Time commitment: 10:00 am - 3:00 pm each day, with a one hour lunch break. Two hours of personal reading time per day is recommended.

Pre-requisites: keen interest in demography; high school maths; Microsoft Excel skills

What to bring: a laptop with Excel installed

All participants receive: (1) copies of the course slides; (2) Excel workbooks with worked examples, and (3) resources sheets with suggested readings and information sources. Please note that refreshments and lunch are not included.

Cost: $990 per participant (includes GST). Payment is by bank transfer via invoice and must be received no later than 30th September 2025. Cancellations made after 30th September are not refundable. However, in the unlikely event of the course being cancelled, refunds will be made.

How to register: Please email Tom at tom.demographer@protonmail.com with your name, email address, and organisation, and if necessary any purchase order number or reference code for the invoice. Registration must be made no later than 30th September 2025.

Benefits of the course: After completing this course you will:

  • understand the drivers of demographic change in Australia

  • be in a better position to answer stakeholder and management questions about population

  • be better able to consider whether claims made using demographic arguments are valid

  • know where to find the demographic data you need

  • be aware of the strengths and limitations of data

  • be able to calculate and interpret key demographic measures.

Course outline

Day 1

Introduction to demography

The age-time space of demography

A guided tour of Australian demographic data

Population counts and estimates

Day 2

Fertility and mortality

Migration

Population projections and forecasts

Household demography

Day 3

Demographic transition(s)

Population ageing

Population pyramids and data visualisation

Pitfalls and practical tips

Please note that the course content may be subject to change.