Sharing Research at EPC 2026

PLANET-NL is happy to be represented by Vera de Bel at the European Population Conference (EPC) this year! EPC is the flagship event of the European Association for Population Studies (EAPS). Organized since 1987, it convenes every other year with participants from all over the world and from a wide range of disciplines to discuss the latest developments in demography and population research. 

Vera will be presenting two topics of her research into family networks:

Open Workshop: Comparative Family Research with Population Register Data

Fertility preferences are influenced by one’s social environment. In this study, we are investigating how much the entry into parenthood differs among full siblings, half-siblings, and cousins in Dutch and Finnish population kinship network data. (June 3 at 15.30, room L)

Kin Availability and Complex Networks in Ageing Populations

Following the peak in divorces in the 1990s, step-parents became a common feature of many family networks. Now, 30 years later, a new role has emerged as their stepchildren have had children of their own. The presence of step-grandparents can significantly increase the total number of grandparents. This study shows that one in five children in the Netherlands (aged 0–12) has more than four grandparents. (June 5 at 16.00, room B)

If you are attending EPC this year, make sure not to miss these sessions! Hope to see you there.