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Ester Lucia Rizzi

Professeure

SSH/ESPO Faculty of Economic, Social and Political Sciences and Communication (ESPO)

SSH/ESPO/PSAD Ecole des Sciences politiques et sociales / Louvain School of Political and Social Sciences (PSAD)

SSH/IACS Institute for the Analysis of Change in Contemporary and Historical Societies (IACCHOS)

  • Expertise :
  • Demography
  • family
  • gender
  • family policies
  • crises
  • beliefs
  • well-being

Ester Lucia RIZZI holds a Ph.D. in Demography from the consortium of the Universities of Rome, Florence, and Padua. She is currently a Professor at the Centre for Demographic Research at UCLouvain (Université catholique de Louvain). Her research lies at the intersection of family demography and gender studies, with a particular focus on how belief systems, social transformations, welfare regimes, and macro-level crises shape individual and family behaviours. Central to her work is the analysis of how these behavioural shifts affect individual well-being. She adopts a mixed-methods approach, combining advanced quantitative techniques with in-depth qualitative research to capture the multidimensional nature of demographic processes.

2025
Journal article

Doignon, Y., Banerjee, A., Eggerickx, T., & Rizzi, E. L. (2025). Borders and the Spatial Diffusion of Family Changes: An Analysis of Non-marital Births in the French-Belgian Border Region (1968–2017). Population, Space and Place, 32(1), 15. https://doi.org/10.1002/psp.70147 (Original work published 2025)


Menashe Oren, A., Uccheddu, D., Rizzi, E. L., & et al. (2025). Social ties in old age: the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic. European Journal of Ageing, 22(55), 24. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10433-025-00889-3 (Original work published 2025)


Working paper

Wang, H., & Rizzi, E. L. (2025). Do younger adults feel more insecure in times of crisis? Age differences in subjective socio economic insecurity across European welfare regimes.


2024
Journal article

Rizzi, E. L., & Sarkar Koyel. (2024). Self-Arranged Marriages in India: Change Amidst Sociocultural Underpinnings and Hanging Norms. Marriage & Family Review, 60(2), 76-108. https://doi.org/10.1080/01494929.2024.2304725 (Original work published 2024)


2023
Book chapter

Rizzi, E. L., & Uccheddu, D. (2023). Gendered loneliness in Italy during the Covid-19 pandemic. In Bruno Arpino (ed.), Loneliness and social exclusion among older Europeans before and during the COVID-19 pandemic (N-IUSSP).


Journal article

Rizzi, E. L., Rees, A., & Charline Decoster. (2023). Belgian family policy from a comparative perspective: Does it support fertility and gender equity? Quetelet. Accepted/in-press. (Original work published 2023)


Rizzi, E. L., Dantis, C., & Baudin, T. (2023). The association between religiosity and fertility intentions via grandparenting: Evidence from GGS data. European Journal of Population. Accepted/in-press. (Original work published 2023)


2022
Journal article

Rizzi, E. L. (2022). 이탈리아의 가족주의 복지제도와 여성고용정책. International Labor Brief, 20(8), 29-44. (Original work published 2022)


Uccheddu, D., & Rizzi, E. L. (2022). Intergenerational ties and COVID-19 contagion: A study on European adults 50 years and older using SHARE data. Journals of Gerontology. Series B: Psychological Sciences & Social Sciences. Published. https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/gbac196 (Original work published 2022)


Rizzi, E. L. (2022). Italian familialistic welfare regime and women’s employment policy. International Labor Brief, 20(8), 29-42. (Original work published 2022)


Bourguignon, M., Damiens, J. J., Doignon, Y., Eggerickx, T., Fontaine, S., Plavsic, A., Rees, A., Rizzi, E. L., Sanderson, J.-P., & Schlüter, B.-S. (2022). Un an après. Analyse de la variation sociodémographique de la surmortalité de 2020 liée à la Covid-19 en Belgique (2022-11-16). Cahiers québécois de démographie, 1-38. (Original work published 2022)


2021
Working paper

Dantis, C., Rizzi, E. L., & Baudin, T. (2021). The association between religiosity and fertility intentions via grandparenting: Evidence from GGS data (Démographie et sociétés 28).


Rizzi, E. L., Rees, A., & Decoster, C. (2021). Belgian family policy from a comparative perspective: What works and what is missing.


Bourguignon, M., Damiens, J. J., Doignon, Y., Eggerickx, T., Fontaine, S., Lusyne, P., Plavsic, A., Rees, A., Rizzi, E. L., Sanderson, J.-P., & Schlüter, B.-S. (2021). Variations spatiales et sociodémographiques de mortalité de 2020-2021 en Belgique. L’effet de la pandémie Covid-19 (Démographie et sociétés 27).


Conference paper

Eggerickx, T., Sanderson, J.-P., Bourguignon, M., Doignon, Y., Damiens, J. J., Fontaine, S., Masquelier, B., Plavsic, A., Rees, A., Rizzi, E. L., & Schlüter, B.-S. (2021). Inégalités sociales de mortalité et place des ainés dans la société. Webinaires sur la pandémie de la Covid 19 de l’AIDELF, online.


Bourguignon, M., Damiens, J. J., Doignon, Y., Eggerickx, T., Fontaine, S., Masquelier, B., Plavsic, A., Rees, A., Rizzi, E. L., Sanderson, J.-P., & Schlüter, B.-S. (2021). Les variations spatiales de la mortalité due à la Covid-19. Webinaires de l’AIDELF sur la pandémie de la Covid-19, “L’apport des démographes à la compréhension de la pandémie”, En ligne.


2020
Working paper

Doignon, Y., Eggerickx, T., & Rizzi, E. L. (2020). The spatial diffusion of nonmarital cohabitation in Belgium over 25 years: geographic proximity and urban hierarchy.


Sarkar, K., & Rizzi, E. L. (2020). Love Marriage in India.


Journal article

Chen, M., Rizzi, E. L., & Yip, P. S. F. (2020). Divorce trends in China across time and space: an update. Asian Population Studies, 17(2), 121-147. https://doi.org/10.1080/17441730.2020.1858571 (Original work published 2020)


Dantis, C., & Rizzi, E. L. (2020). Transition to first birth during the Great Recession: the case of Greece. Genus (Online) : journal of population studies, 76(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s41118-019-0070-1 (Original work published 2020)


Doignon, Y., Eggerickx, T., & Rizzi, E. L. (2020). The Spatial Diffusion of Nonmarital Cohabitation in Belgium over 25 Years: Geographic Proximity and Urban Hierarchy. Demographic Research Monographs, 43(48), 1413-1428. https://doi.org/10.4054/DemRes.2020.43.48 (Original work published 2020)


Campolo Maria Gabriella, Antonio Di Pino, & Rizzi, E. L. (2020). The labour division of Italian couples after a birth: assessing the effect of unobserved heterogeneity. Journal of Population Research, 1-31. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12546-020-09241-1 (Original work published 2020)


2019
Conference paper

Doignon, Y., Eggerickx, T., & Rizzi, E. L. (2019). The spatial diffusion of the Second Demographic Transition: Spatio-temporal analysis in France and Belgium since 1970. Eugeo Congress 2019, Galway (Irlande).


Journal article

Ma, L., Rizzi, E. L., & Jani Turunen. (2019). Childlessness, sex composition of children, and divorce risks in China. Demographic Research Monographs, 41, 753-780. https://doi.org/10.4054/DemRes.2019.41.26 (Original work published 2019)


Kim, Y., & Rizzi, E. L. (2019). Who does not intend to retire? Mothers’ opportunity costs and compensation at later ages in Europe. Ageing and Society, 39(1), 1-27. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0144686X19000503 (Original work published 2019)


Mikucka, M., & Rizzi, E. L. (2019). The parenthood and happiness link: Testing predictions from five theories. European Journal of Population, 36, 337-361. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10680-019-09532-1) (Original work published 2020)


2018
Working paper

Ma, L., & Rizzi, E. L. (2018). Children and Divorce in China. Does a boy protect marriage? (SRRD 8).


Journal article

Ma, L., Turunen, J., Rizzi, E. L., & et al. (2018). Divorce Chinese Style. Journal of Marriage and Family, 80(5), 1287-1297. https://doi.org/10.1111/jomf.12484 (Original work published 2018)


2017
Working paper

Dantis, C., & Rizzi, E. L. (2017). Economic Uncertainty and First Birth in Greece (Démographie et sociétés 9).


Ma, L., Rizzi, E. L., & Rizzi, E. L. (2017). Divorce Chinese Style (Stockholm Research Reports in Demography 12).


Journal article

Ma, L., & Rizzi, E. L. (2017). Entry into first marriage in China. Demographic Research, 37(36), 1231-1244. https://doi.org/10.4054/DemRes.2017.37.36 (Original work published 2017)


2016
Working paper

Mikucka, M., & Rizzi, E. L. (2016). Does it take a village to raise a child? The buffering effect of relationships with relatives for parental life satisfaction. (FORS working papers 2016-1).


Journal article

Mikucka, M., & Rizzi, E. L. (2016). Does it take a village to raise a child? Demographic Research, 34(34), 943-994. https://doi.org/10.4054/DemRes.2016.34.34 (Original work published 2016)


Campolo, M. G., Di Pino, A., & Rizzi, E. L. (2016). Parenthood and labour division in Italian two-earner couples. International Journal of Social Economics, 43(12), 1315-1333. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSE-12-2014-0248 (Original work published 2016)


Book chapter

Campolo, M. G., Di Pino, A., & Rizzi, E. L. (2016). How Do Life Course Events Affect Paid and Unpaid Work of Italian Couples? In Alleva G., Giommi A. (ed.), Topics in Theoretical and Applied Statistics. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-27274-0_17


Costa, R., Eggerickx, T., Rizzi, E. L., & Sanderson, J.-P. (2016). Analyse spatiale et temporelle de la fécondité en Belgique : une approche communale. In Jacqueline Hecht (Ed.), Christophe Bergouignan (Ed.), France Prioux (Ed.) et al. (ed.), La fécondité - Représentation, causalités, prospective. Actes du XVe colloque national de démographie (pp. 102-119). Cudep.


2015
Conference paper

Mikucka, M., & Rizzi, E. L. (2015). Does it take a village to raise a child? Buffering effect of family support during parenthood in Switzerland. 8th International Conference of Panel Data Users in Switzerland, Lausanne University, Switzerland.


Rizzi, E. L., & Demlenne, C. (2015). A qualitative study on gender attitudes and the suffering child. Social Change in Globalized Societies, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.


Mikucka, M., & Rizzi, E. L. (2015). Parenthood and life satisfaction in Switzerland. Methodological challenges and substantive results. The 6th Conference of the European Survey Research Association, Reykjavik.


Working paper

Rizzi, E. L., & Mikucka, M. (2015). The happiness-parenthood link in a context of limited state support: The case of Switzerland (FORS working papers 2015-3).


2014
Conference paper

Mikucka, M., & Rizzi, E. L. (2014). Does it take a village to raise a child? 2014 Quetelet Seminar: 40th edition “Fertility, childlessness and the family: A pluri-disciplinary approach”, Louvain-la-Neuve.


Mikucka, M., & Rizzi, E. L. (2014). Long-term Effects of Parenthood on Life Satisfaction. European Population Conference, Budapest, Hungary, June 25-28, 2014.


Mikucka, M., & Rizzi, E. L. (2014). Family and Non-Family Support during the Transition to Parenthood. XVIII ISA World Congress of Sociology, Yokohama, Japan.


Rizzi, E. L., & Demlenne, C. (2014). A qualitative study on gender attitudes, the intended fertility, and the suffering child. European Population Conference, Budapest, Hungary.


2013
Conference paper

Rizzi, E. L., Campolo, M. G., Di Pino, A., & Regnier-Loilier, A. (2013). The woman’s satisfaction with the division of domestic labour after the arrival of a child. The cases of France and Italy. 2nd Generations and Gender Survey User Group Conference, Università Bocconi Milan (Italy).


Campolo, M. G., Di Pino, A., & Rizzi, E. L. (2013). The allocation of time of Italian couples after a birth: do gender attitudes matter? Giornate di Studio sulla Popolazione, GSP.


Book chapter

Rizzi, E. L. (2013). La régression logistique. In Masuy-Stroobant Godelieve et Costa Rafael (ed.), Analyser les données en sciences sociales. De la préparation des données à l’analyse multivariée.


Campolo, M. G., Di Pino, A., & Rizzi, E. L. (2013). The Italian Couples’ Division of Labour after a Birth: Do Gender Attitudes Matter? In Brentari E., Carpita M. (ed.), Advances in Latent Variables,.


Journal article

Rizzi, E. L. (2013). Review of Cecilia Ridgeway: Framed by Gender. How gender inequality persists in the Modern World, Oxford University Press, New York, 2011. European Journal of Population, 29(1), 131-133. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10680-013-9284-7 (Original work published 2013)


2012
Conference paper

Campolo, M. G., Di Pino, A., & Rizzi, E. L. (2012). Life-Course Transitions, Market Work and Domestic Work of Italian Couples. In SIS (ed.), “Società Italiana di statistica. Proceedings of XLVI Scientific Meeting SIS (p. http:). CLEUP.


Rizzi, E. L. (2012). Gender inequity and low fertility in Italy: the mechanisms of influence. Sustainability of population changes, Louvain-la-Neuve.


Rizzi, E. L. (2012). Italian women’s satisfaction across life-course events. New family forms following family dissolution: consequences in/on post-modern society, Louvain.


Rizzi, E. L., & Demlenne, C. (2012). Hommes et femmes: toujours inégaux devant l’aspirateur. Les fausses bonnes idées pour les femmes. Sortir du capitalisme et du sexisme, Université des femmes, Bruxelles (Belgium).


Journal article

Rizzi, E. L., Gourbin, C., & Baizan Munoz, P. (2012). Population Policies: An Integrated Approach. Preface to the 2009 Quetelet Symposium on Population Policies. Population Review, Special Issue. (Original work published 2012)


Rizzi, E. L., Gourbin, C., & Baizan, P. (2012). Population policies in Europe and North America. Population Review, Special Issue. (Original work published 2012)


Working paper

Rizzi, E. L., Campolo, M. G., & Di Pino, A. (2012). Italian women’s satisfaction across life-course events.


Campolo, M. G., Di Pino, A., & Rizzi, E. L. (2012). A Simultaneous-Equation Estimation Model of Life-Course Transition Effects on Market and Domestic Work of Italian Couples.


2011
Journal article

McDonald, J., Rosina, A., Rizzi, E. L., & Colombo, B. (2011). Age and fertility: can women wait until their early thirties to try for a first birth? Journal of Biosocial Science, 3(6), 685-700. https://doi.org/10.1017/S002193201100040X. (Original work published 2011)


2010
Conference paper

Rizzi, E. L., & Kertzer, D. (2010). Grandparent-provided child care: unexpected effect on fertility intentions in Italy. European Population Conference, Vienna.


Costa, R., Eggerickx, T., Rizzi, E. L., & Sanderson, J.-P. (2010). Analyse spatiale et temporelle de la fécondité en Belgique : une approche communale. Fecondite: representation, causalite et perspective, Strasbourg.


2009
Book chapter

Rizzi, E. L. (2009). Sterility and subfecondity: assessment from a detailed prospective study. In Catherine Gourbin et al. (ed.), Santé de la reproduction au Nord et au Sud. De la connaissance à l’action (p. p. 215-226). Presses universitaires de Louvain.


Conference paper

Rizzi, E. L. (2009). Does abstinence work? NFP users and consistency of behaviour”. PAA, Detroit.


Rizzi, E. L., Judd, M., White, M., & Kertzer, D. (2009). How the division of labour affect fertility intentions: a mixed method approach. IUSSP, Marrakech.


2008
Book chapter

Arena, D., Crisafulli, C., & Rizzi, E. L. (2008). La seconda generazione di immigrati in Calabria e Sicilia. In Casacchia O. et al. (ed.), Studiare insieme, crescere Insieme? Un ’indagine sulle seconde generazioni di immigrati in dieci regioni italiane. Franco Angeli.


2007
Journal article

Mucciardi, M., & Rizzi, E. L. (2007). The influence of socio-economic conditions on large families formation (in Italian). Rivista Italiano di Economica, Demografia e Statistica, 60(3-4). (Original work published 2007)


Rizzi, E. L., & Dalla Zuanna, G. (2007). The seasonality of conception. Demography, 44(4), 705-728. https://doi.org/10.1353/dem.2007.0040 (Original work published 2007)


2006
Journal article

Rizzi, E. L., & Rosina, A. (2006). Does sex matter? Ageing and Ability to conceive? Vienna Yearbook of Population Research, 2006, 77-90. (Original work published 2006)


Rivellini, G., Rizzi, E. L., & Zaccarin, S. (2006). The science network in Italian population research: an analysis according to the social network perspectives. Scientometrics : an international journal for all quantitative aspects of the science of science, communication in science and science policy, 67(3), 407-418. https://doi.org/10.1556/Scient.67.2006.3.5 (Original work published 2006)


Book chapter

Rizzi, E. L. (2006). Sexuality after 30s and consequences on risk of conception. In Michel Loriaux, Eric Vilquin (ed.), Entre nature et culture : quelle(s) démographie(s) ?, Chaire Quetelet 2002. Academia-Bruylant/L’Harmattan.


Rizzi, E. L. (2006). Charity work and second career: inclusion of old people in society (in French). In Michel Loriaux, Dominique Remy (ed.), La retraite au quotidien. Modes de vie, représentation, espérances, inquiétudes des personnes âgées. De Boeck.


Rizzi, E. L., & Valentini, A. (2006). Demographic frame and population projections of the province of Varese (In Italian). In Feliziani et al. (ed.), Transformazioni e tendenze del mercato del lavoro in provincia di Varese. Franco Angeli.


Rizzi, E. L. (2006). The third child although (in Italian). In G. Micheli (ed.), Strategie di family formation. Cosa sta cambiando nella famiglia forte mediterranea. Collana Equivalenze.


Conference paper

Rizzi, E. L., & Micheli, G. (2006). Kinship network and inheritance practices in an Industrial Districts Area in Italy. European Population Conference, Liverpool.


2005
Journal article

McDonald, J. W., Rosina, A., Rizzi, E. L., & Colombo, B. (2005). Age and fertility : Can we wait until the early 30s? Applications and Policy Working Papers, Southampton Sciences Research Institute, A04/22, 22p. (Original work published 2005)


Rizzi, E. L., Rosina, A., & Colombo, B. (2005). On age effect: results from a deteiled prospective study on daily fecundability. Revue d’Epidemiologie et de Sante Publique, 53, 57-63. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0398-7620(05)84768-6 (Original work published 2005)


Rizzi, E. L., & Rosina, A. (2005). The werewolf syndrome: moon phases and sexuality (In Italian). Working Paper of Department of Statistics and Mathematics Applied to Economy, University of Pisa, 267. (Original work published 2005)


Book chapter

Rizzi, E. L. (2005). Fatherhood in large families (in Italian). In A. Rosina, L. L. Sabbadini (ed.), Diventare padri in Italia (p. p. 199-211). Istat.


Rizzi, E. L. (2005). Three children or more (in Italian). In A. Rosina, L. L. Sabbadini (ed.), Diventare padri in Italia (p. p. 127-137). Istat.


Rizzi, E. L. (2005). Religion and sexual ethics. In Dalla Zuana, Crisafulli (ed.), The sexual behaviour of Italian students.


Conference paper

Rizzi, E. L., & Rosina, A. (2005). The werewolf syndrome: moon phases and sexuality. Giornate di Studio sulla Populazione, Padova.


2003
Book chapter

Rizzi, E. L. (2003). Lonely old people (In Italian). In Guerini e Associati (ed.), Equilibri fragili. Vulnerabilità e vita quotidiana delle famiglie lombarde. IReR.


Rizzi, E. L. (2003). Families with three or more children (In Italian). In Guerini e Associati (ed.), Equilibri fragili. Vulnerabilità e vita quotidiana delle famiglie lombarde. IReR.


2002
Book chapter

Rivellini, G., & Rizzi, E. L. (2002). Scientific networks of academic demographers in Italy. In Atti della XLI Riunione Scientifica della SIS. CLEUP.


Rivellini, G., & Rizzi, E. L. (2002). MAP: The survey and its follow-up (In Italian). In G. A. Micheli (ed.), La nave di Teseo. La condizione anziana e l’identità nel cambiamento. F. Angeli.


Rizzi, E. L., & Rosina, A. (2002). Predictors of severe diseases at older ages (in Italian). In G. A. Micheli (ed.), La nave di Teseo. La condizione anziana e l’identità nel cambiamento. F. Angeli.


2001
Book chapter

Rivellini, G., & Rizzi, E. L. (2001). The research on population in Italy in years 1998-1999. In Società Italiana di Statistica.


Learning units for 2025

Label Code
Theories of socio-demographic change LDEMO2130
Seminar on causal research in social sciences LDEMO2150
Quetelet Chair LDEMO2600
Ageing and inter-generational relations LDEMO2611
Policies and programs in population issues. LDEMO2612
EU surveys and opinion polls LDEMO2650
Interdisciplinary Introduction to Gender Studies LGENR1300
Gender and Societies LSPED1215