Does the name Alfred Sauvy ring a bell? Institut National d’Études Démographiques or INED owes its existence to him. Let’s delve into the story of this pivotal demographic research institute.
The Institut National d’Études Démographiques is a French public research institute. It specializes in population studies. INED partners with academic and research communities at national and international levels.
Its missions are clear. INED studies the populations of France and other countries. It ensures wide dissemination of the acquired knowledge. Also it provides training in research through research.
The institute’s approach to demography is resolutely open. It is interdisciplinary. A wide range of disciplines are implicated. These include economics history geography sociology anthropology biology and epidemiology.
With its research units INED promotes communication. It promotes exchange within the scientific community. It also does so between researchers and the general public. The Institut National d’Études Démographiques conducts numerous European and international research projects.
INED’s history is quite interesting. The institute was created by ordinance in 1945. Pediatrician Robert Debré initiated it. He had submitted a report to the French Committee of National Liberation in Algiers. The report focused on the institutionalization of demography.
General de Gaulle concerned about demographic issues entrusted the direction of the new institute to Alfred Sauvy. Sauvy was a statistician economist. In 1938 he authored the first pro-natalist measures. He was then advisor to Paul Reynaud President of the Council.
The Institut National d’Études Démographiques took over the premises. It took over the premises of the French Foundation for the Study of Human Problems. Doctor Alexis Carrel founded it under Vichy. INED also took about 7% of the foundation’s staff.
The 1945 ordinance signed by De Gaulle defined INED’s mission. It was particularly outlined in its second article. INED is responsible for studying demographic problems. It studies them in all their aspects. The institute gathers useful documentation. It opens investigations. It carries out experiments. It follows experiments carried out abroad. INED studies material and moral means. These means are likely to contribute to the quantitative increase and qualitative improvement of the population. It ensures the dissemination of demographic knowledge.
In 1986 INED’s missions were redefined. Decree No. 86-382 of March 12 1986 repealed the 1945 ordinance. It converted INED into a public institution. It became a public institution of a scientific and technological nature.
The institute which until then had been under the social ministries was placed under the supervision of the Ministry of Research. A complementary supervision is provided by the ministries responsible for population and health statistics.
With the 1986 decree the pro-natalist objective of 1945 disappeared. INED’s mission is to develop and disseminate demographic knowledge. It does this for the benefit of economic and social progress in general.
The early days of INED were difficult. With the unexpected start of the baby boom an institute designed to encourage births seemed superfluous. But very quickly INED was entrusted with studies. These studies were on the consequences of the baby boom. They concerned housing schooling employment infant and maternal mortality.
In 2021 INED employed approximately 270 people. These included researchers technicians engineers doctoral students post-doctoral students and associated researchers. The disciplinary affiliation of INED researchers is varied. It is also complementary. Disciplines include demography sociology economics history geography statistics anthropology epidemiology and medicine.
The Institut National d’Études Démographiques is the largest European institute in its field. Similar institutes include the Netherlands Interdisciplinary Demography Institute the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research and the Vienna Institute of Demography. Since 2000 INED has hosted the world headquarters of the International Union for the Scientific Study of Population.