Data collection
GéDAP presents two specificities:
- use and criticise analysis of the National Register and the population registers data, fundamental steps in the field of local demography. Besides, the treatment of these data sources enables us to lead historical and longitudinal approaches, (by generation), both for individuals and households.
- harmonisation and comparability of the international migration statistics and use of the data on residential mobility on a very precise level of spatial aggregation.
Finally, GéDAP has many demographic data bases spreading out the 19th at the 21st century, as well as individual and aggregate data (computerised, in microiches and printed).
Historical demography
The objective is better to know the history of the population of Wallonia and Brussels, mainly within the framework of the demographic and urban transitions . The 19th and 20th centuries are privileged and the behaviors of fecondity, nuptiality, mortality and of mobility, as well as the study of dynamic of settlement, of the components of the demographic structure and shift in population, are generally approached within a very precise spatial framework (municipalities, cities, campaigns, industrial areas…).
These studies rely on individual data extracted the registers of populations and on aggregate data coming from the censuses of the population and the statistics of the shift in population./Ces études reposent tant sur des données individuelles extraites des registres de populations que sur des données agrégées provenant des recensements de la population et des statistiques du mouvement de la population.
Local and applied demography
GéDAP undertook many researches in the field of local and applied demography. In addition to the development of tools and specific approaches, these researches aim to put a scientific knowledge at the disposal of the regional and local administrations. The National Register and the censuses, including the very recent 2001 socio-economic enquiry, are the essential data sources
A demographic and socio-economic database is developed by GéDAP at the municipal level (CYTISE) at the request of the Walloon Region. Finally, GéDAP develops a socio-demographic database on the scale of the districts for all the Walloon municipalities.
Households
By the fact of the migrations, the households change unceasingly and move to occupy successively various residences. The demographic analysis of the households is closely related to the migrations and the residences analysis.
More particularly, GéDAP highlighted a distinction between individual migration and household migration. In addition, the analysis of the household transitions was developed starting from an appropriate typology of the households where the cohabitation is taken into account.
Finally the unit housing is considered within the framework of the study of the households transition in a given housing, which allows an estimate of the housing demand according to the size and of the type of household.
Mortality-longevity-ageing
The analysis of the longevity tries to explain why certain people live longer than others and is interested particularly in the very old people, centenarians or supercentenarians (110 years and more).
Various researches in which GéDAP participates concern Sardinia (AKEA), Okinawa, Georgia and Belgium (GEHA). We also contribute to International Database on Longevity developed jointly by the INSERM (University of Montpellier) and by the Max Plack Institute for Demographic Research in Rostock. The ageing of the population represents without any doubt the most outstanding demographic trends of our time. In this field, GéDAP provides in collaboration with INED (Paris) the scientific coordination of the European project FELICIE (5th European Research Programme). As its acronym indicates, FELICIE (Future Elderly Living Conditions in Europe) tries to estimate the future needs for the growing number of old people in Europe. The project covers the years 2003 to 2005 and gathers eleven research teams belonging to eight European countries (see the Web site www.felicie.org).
Internal migrations and urbanisation
Urbanisation represents one of greatest evolutions of the two last centuries and the internal migrations constitute currently the principal agent of the space redistribution of the populations. For several years, GéDAP has carried out in-depth research in this field: suburbanisation seen under a socio-demographic angle, evolution of the urbanisation process in Belgium or impact of the borders. Within the framework of the scientific valorisation of the Socio-economic Enquiry carried out in 2001, GéDAP is involved in the carrying out of the Monography devoted to the internal migrations. Besides, various researches are undertaken to explain the reasons of the migration in a suburbanisation environment, based on an accurate enquiry related to individuals having migrated from Brussels to the Walloon Brabant.
International migrations and study of the foreigners
The last years saw a major increase in migratory flows bound for Belgium. In the same time, the presence from abroad or foreigners was never so significant. The foreign presence and immigration became a political topic major in Belgium as in the rest of Europe. In the multidisciplinary study of the migratory phenomena, GéDAP was mainly rooted in two directions where demographic knowledge is essential:
- the study of the statistical information systems concerning the international migration (projects COMPSTAT, EUROSTAT-UNECE, THESIM: Towards Harmonised European Statistics one International Migration);
- and the study of the evolution of the foreign or foreign origin population.
Demographic projections (population and household)
Information related to the future evolution of a population is essential for the implementation of economic and social policies. Within the framework of its collaboration with the public administrations, GéDAP collaborates regularly with the Institut National de Statistique and the Bureau du Plan for the carrying out of demographic projections on the scale of the country, of its regions, provinces and districts. Since 2004, we also collaborate in the scientific project MOBIDIC, whose demographic part consists, on the one hand, to produce, with the assistance of software LIPRO, projections on the district scale (individuals and households), and on the other hand, to develop the scenarios concerning the evolution of the inter-district migrations .
