About Demography Matters
Navigating demographic literacy, one research paper and recipe at a time.
Welcome! I’m Apoorva Jadhav.
For years, I served as the chief demographic expert at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). I spent my days diving deep into data on demography and development and everything in between.
In recent years, and particularly in 2025, there has been a shift in what is being written about and debated. Demography—the scientific study of human populations—has become a battlefield for misinformation. From pronatalist panics to immigrant crises, the data is often used to fuel fear rather than understanding.
I started Demography Matters to bridge the gap between dense academic research and the real-world implications that affect us all. My goal is to make demography approachable, actionable, most importantly, fun!
What you’ll find here:
At the Table: A 12-part series featuring informal, 10-minute chats with the world’s leading policymakers and researchers. I try to bring nuance to answer the “so what?” of demographic trends like migration, urbanization, climate change, and national security by speaking with global experts.
On the Table: When I’m not thinking about data, I’m usually thinking about dumplings. Each week, we cook a meal and analyze trends from "demographic twins"—countries that represent opposite ends of a trend (like the highest vs. lowest fertility rates). We have 25 pairings to explore over 52 weeks. Hope you follow along. And if you cook any of the recipes, I’d love to hear about it!
Why Subscribe?
Whether you’re a former colleague, a data nerd, or a stranger who just likes food and and data, there’s a seat for you here.
In a world that feels increasingly complex, let’s find a space to laugh, learn, and eat. Subscribe to get weekly updates delivered to your inbox.
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