PRB

The Challenge

As advocacy organizations engage with a range of decisionmakers to achieve their family planning policy goals, they need diversified communication messages and tools grounded in local evidence to address their different audiences’ priorities.

Analysis and synthesis of data and research are at the core of PRB’s technical work on family planning and reproductive health issues. The Family Planning Advocacy Resource Hub products reflect our deep experience inspiring policymakers to strengthen their commitments to family planning and related issues.

Through the Family Planning Advocacy Resource Hub, we deliver evidence-based content in compelling formats that make data and information accessible to expert and generalist audiences alike. The Family Planning Advocacy Resource Hub was created under PRB’s Empowering Evidence-Driven Advocacy project.

Evidence-Based Communication Products Tailored to Your Needs

PRB works together with family planning advocacy partners in Africa and Asia to create customized, impactful communications materials that propel their advocacy efforts. We customize materials based on partners’ advocacy needs, goals, and existing capacity for end results that help to achieve quick wins. To date, PRB has developed a number of innovative products, including videos, policy briefs, multimedia presentations, a comic book, pocket-sized infographics, and factsheets to support national and subnational advocacy.

To learn more about our experts, please visit Leadership and Staff.

MEDIA MENTIONS

What’s Behind Falling Birthrates and Why It Matters

Texas Monthly | March 29, 2024

Diana Elliott, Vice President of U.S. Programs at PRB, talks about population aging and falling birthrates and answers questions from callers.

Birthrates are plummeting worldwide. Why?

The Ezra Klein Show (The New York Times) | March 19, 2024

On the podcast, demographer Jennifer D. Sciubba, Vice Chair of PRB’s Board of Trustees, speaks about declining birth rates in wealthy countries.

Climate Vulnerability and Resilience

The News on Sunday (Pakistan) | March 17, 2024

“The 2023 World Population Data Sheet (a ready reference of demographic and health indicators by country and region) published annually by the Population Research [sic] Bureau, provides the latest data on key population, health and environment indicators for major world regions and over 200 countries and territories.”

Health Systems Adjust Care as More People Reach Older Ages

The Daily Item | March 5, 2024

“‘The current growth of the population ages 65 and older, driven by the large baby boom generation — those born between 1946 and 1964 — is unprecedented in U.S. history,’ according to the Population Reference Bureau.”

REFAMP- Togo : Comprendre le dividende et la transition démographiques en cours pour mieux agir

AfrikImpact TV | March 1, 2024

« Les membres du Réseau des femmes africaines ministres et parlementaires, avec le soutien de PRB et CREG, ont été outillées jeudi 29 février 2024 à Lomé sur le dividende démographique et la transition démographique afin de mieux lutter en faveur de l’autonomisation des femmes et des jeunes filles. »

The False Escapism of Soft Girls and Tradwives

TIME | Feb. 28, 2024

“According to a December 2023 report by the Population Reference Bureau, a nonprofit research organization, Gen-Z female teens have higher rates of suicide than previous generations, specifically rates have increased to .005% whereas suicide rates for teen girls had remained steadily around .003% for the three generations prior.”

Retirements Spike Again as Stock Market Booms

Axios | Feb. 19, 2024

“The 65-and-older cohort is set to soar by nearly 50% by 2050, with its share of the population rising from 17% to 23%, according to the Population Reference Bureau.”

The Friends Who Are Caring for Each Other in Older Age

The Atlantic | Feb. 12, 2024

“The Population Reference Bureau projects that the number of 75-year-olds without a living spouse could more than double, from about 875,000 in 2010 to 1.8 million in 2030.”

Togo : Le travaildomestique non rémunéré expliqué aux journalistes

AfrikElles | Feb. 10, 2024

« Le concept de travail domestique non rémunéré est peu compris au sein de la population. De ce constat, Le Consortium pour la recherche en économie générationnelle et la Population Référence Bureau (PRB), en collaboration avec le ministère de l’Action sociale, de la promotion de la femme et de l’alphabétisation, a organisé une formation le jeudi 08 février 2024 à l’endroit des journalistes au Togo. »

Lomé : rencontre de concertation de haut niveau sur le travail domestique non rémunéré

L’Emissaire | Feb. 8, 2024

« Aissata FALL, Directrice Afrique de PRB, a souligné l’engagement des pays de l’Afrique de l’Ouest, dont le Togo, envers l’agenda 2063 et la feuille de route de l’Union Africaine sur la capture du dividende démographique. »

The Youth Factor

The News International (Pakistan) | Jan. 24, 2024

“PRB estimates show that 38 per cent of the population in Pakistan falls in the younger than 15 category while 4.0 percent falls in the 65 plus age group.”

The Long Decline: How Depopulation Hurts Alabama’s Rural Communities

Alabama Reflector | Jan. 16, 2024

“‘When we look at Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and most of the other Appalachian states, rural counties have been having population loss in general,’” said Beth Jarosz, program director in the U.S. Programs for the Population Reference Bureau.”

Millennial Women Are Making More Money. They’re Also Facing Bigger Health Threats.

The 19th News | Dec. 14, 2023

“Sara Srygley, a research analyst with PRB, stressed that the data in the PRB report highlights the importance of intersectionality in both research and decision-making — as soberly underscored by the racial differences that exist among the change in the suicide rate among young women.”

Millennial Women in US Are Facing the First ‘Active Decline’ in Well-Being Since WWII – With Suicides, Debt and Cost of Living All Skyrocketing

Daily Mail | Dec. 13, 2023

“Researchers at the Population Reference Bureau found the well-being index for millennial women declined to 94 out of 100 for Millennials – a six percent drop from the previous group and the first since the Silent Generation reported a score of 45.”

Millennial Women Are Facing the First Decline in Well-Being Since the Silent Generation, Report Says

CNN | Dec. 11, 2023

“The Population Reference Bureau created an index of women’s well-being, identifying the factors that best indicated the general status of poverty, education, incarceration, political representation, physical and mental health, and participation in the labor force.”

Millennial, Gen Z Women Face More Health and Safety Threats Than Prior Generations: Study

New York Post | Dec. 1, 2023

“A report released Thursday by the Population Reference Bureau found that women born after 1981 had heightened risks to their physical well-being and safety compared to their mothers and grandmothers.”

Gen Z, Millennial Women Face Historic Headwinds When It Comes to Their Health: Report

ABC News | Nov. 30, 2023

“‘Young women today are obtaining college degrees and entering the workforce in record numbers to achieve their generation’s version of the American Dream. But structural barriers to health and safety are preventing many of them from reaching their full potential,’” said Diana Elliott, vice president for U.S. programs at the Population Reference Bureau.

Millennial and Gen Z Women Face Greater Health Risks Than Prior Generations, Report Finds

Forbes | Nov. 30, 2023

“Though their physical well-being and safety are at an increased risk, millennial women have made farther economic strides and are more educated than previous generations, according to PRB.”

U.S. Women Now Live 6 Years Longer Than Men—and a Lack of Male-Targeted Mental Health Care Might Be to Blame

Forbes | Nov. 16, 2023

“Women outlive men in almost every country in the world, according to the Population Reference Bureau.”

Vermont May Be the Face of a Long-Term U.S. Labor Shortage

The New York Times | Nov. 12, 2023

“‘It seems to be happening slowly enough that we’re not seeing it as a crisis,’” said Diana Elliott, vice president for U.S. programs at the Population Reference Bureau, a nonprofit research organization. “‘It’s happening in slow motion.’”

Remove Levies on Reproductive Health Services, Lobby Tells Governor Sakaja

Nation (Kenya) | Nov. 8, 2023

“According to the World Population Data Sheet by Population Reference Bureau, poor women report the highest unmet need for family planning programs.”

One in Four People in Asia, Pacific Will Be Above 60 by 2050, Over Half Will Be Women: UNFPA

The New Indian Express | Oct. 31, 2023

“Toshiko Kaneda, Technical Director of Demographic Research, Population [Reference] Bureau, said by mid-2040, the size of the population aged above 65 will surpass the size of the population of children and youth under the age of 15.”

Boys Graduate High School at Lower Rates Than Girls, With Lifelong Consequences

The Associated Press | Oct. 29, 2023

“In some cases, boys like West aren’t in as much of a hurry to graduate as girls because they haven’t needed a high school degree to cover rent and groceries, said Beth Jarosz, a program director at research organization PRB.”

Most Boomers Missed This Retirement Strategy But Millennials Still Have Time

Forbes | Oct. 17, 2023

“The Population Reference Bureau cites several studies indicating that older Boomers may be less healthy than previous generations at the same age decades earlier.”

Gay Community Faces Increased Risk of Dementia

The Provincetown Independent | Oct. 11, 2023

“There are more than seven million people in the U.S. with dementia, according to the Population Reference Bureau (PRB), and 6.5 million of these cases are caused by Alzheimer’s disease. As the U.S. population ages, this number is likely to increase — if current trends persist, 9 million people will have dementia by 2030, according to the PRB.”

PRB and Dr. Shalon’s Maternal Action Project win a Clio Health award

Clio Health | Oct. 2023

PRB and Dr. Shalon’s Maternal Action Project won a Clio Health award for our national campaign to raise awareness of the Black maternal health crisis in the United States.

Combien d’humains sur la planète à ce jour ?

La Presse | Oct. 8, 2023

« Un autre groupe qui publie des estimations de « démographie historique », le Bureau de recherche sur la population (PRB) de Washington, mise plutôt sur les taux de fécondité pour estimer la taille des populations. « Ça nous permet de combler les trous entre les recensements », explique Toshiko Kaneda, une démographe du PRB. »

Worried About Living in a Flood Zone? Try a House That Floats.

The New York Times | Sept. 29, 2023

“About 3 billion people, roughly half of the world’s population, lives within 125 miles of a coastline, according to the Population Reference Bureau.”

Where Child Well-Being Stands in California

Axios | Aug. 1, 2023

“2021 state data compiled by Kidsdata.org shows that 36.2% of students in San Francisco County did not complete high school, compared to 9.4% in California overall.” KidsData is a PRB program.

Florida Faces Social Security Crisis as Soaring Inflation Hits Benefits

Newsweek | July 24, 2023

“According to the Population Reference Bureau (PRB)… states like Florida—including Arizona, New Mexico, and South Carolina—have attracted a large share of older retirees in recent decades, thanks to the warm weather and tax benefits for seniors.”

How India’s Population Exploded to Overtake China’s and What’s Next

CNN | July 9, 2023

“‘What really surprised us is that the highest fertility rate in India — 3.0 in Bihar — is not even that high,’ said Barbara Seligman, chief strategy and growth officer and senior vice president at PRB, a nonprofit group that focuses on demographic data and population research.”

Under Strict Abortion Law, Texas Had Nearly 10,000 More Births Than Expected in Last Nine Months of 2022, Research Suggests

CNN Health | July 6, 2023

“Poor policies around paid family leave and options for child care create challenges for many in the United States, and that hasn’t changed post-Dobbs, said Beth Jarosz, a demographer and program director with the nonprofit Population Reference Bureau who focuses on child well-being.”

The Number of Utahns Over 65 Is Up While the Count of Kids Under 5 Is Falling

KUER 90.1 | June 27, 2023

“‘It’s really challenging to find affordable housing,’ Population Reference Bureau Program Director Beth Jarosz told attendees at a Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute Newsmaker Breakfast on June 27. ‘We know based on survey data that families are taking that into consideration when they’re figuring out how many kids to have.’”

California Is Getting Older, Except in This County

The San Francisco Standard | June 23, 2023

“That’s largely because California’s population of children has been shrinking, said Population Reference Bureau Demographer Beth Jarosz. Researchers say a society is at a ‘replacement rate’ when families have two kids, thus replacing the parents.”

‘DINK’—Double Income, No Kids—Couples Say Being Child-Free Makes Them Richer and More Successful, Even If It Means Putting Up With Judgement

Fortune | June 22, 2023

“Yet couples choosing not to have offspring are a growing minority. The proportion of married couples in the U.S. deciding to have children has more than halved since the 1960s, according to the most recent data from the Population Reference Bureau.”

How the Labor Shortage Is Impacting Ohio and the Nation

WOSU All Sides | June 13, 2023

Diana Elliott, PRB’s Vice President for U.S. Programs, spoke with Mike Thompson for the June 13 podcast. “The employers who think more creatively about policies are the ones who are going to come out ahead in the next couple of decades,” she said.

‘I Feel Like I’ve Really Made Friends’: Intergenerational Living Benefits Graduate Students and Older Residents

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette| June 12, 2023

“Data from the Population Reference Bureau predicts that the American population age 65 and older will nearly double from 52 million in 2018 to 95 million by 2060, causing increased strain on elderly health care services.”

How a Declining Birth Rate Could Impact Every American

Deseret News | June 1, 2023

“The first place you see the impact (of falling fertility) is changing demand for schools,” said Beth Jarosz, program director in U.S. programs and director for KidsData at the Population Reference Bureau.

Where Living With Friends Is Still Technically Illegal

The Atlantic | May 22, 2023

“Although 44 percent of households in the U.S. were composed of married parents and their children in 1965, just 19 percent were in 2020, according to the Population Reference Bureau.”

India’s Population Will Pass China’s Soon, But When Exactly?

The Associated Press| April 19, 2023

“Once a country hits a low fertility level, it’s often hard to recover population growth, even with changes in government policy to encourage more births, said Toshiko Kaneda, technical director of demographic research at the Population Reference Bureau in Washington.”

What Holds Women Back From Saving—and What They Can Do About It

CNBC.com | April 3, 2023

“Data from the Population Reference Bureau found that women outlive men in both developed and under-developed countries. In developed societies like the United States, women are expected to live for 79 years while men are expected to live around 72 years.”

New Campaign Highlights Black Maternal Health

NPR, Here & Now | March 29, 2023

This installment of NPR’s Here & Now examines the crisis in Black maternal mortality in the United States, speaking with Wanda Irving of Dr. Shalon’s Maternal Action Project and referencing data from PRB.

Is the Poverty Line, Created Five Decades Ago, an Effective Measure of Need? Experts Say No.

USA Today | Dec. 9, 2022
Beth Jarosz discusses the history and limitations of the current federal poverty line and offers recommendations.

As Biden Turns 80, Americans Ask ‘What’s Too Old?’

Reuters | Nov. 11, 2022
The article cites PRB data on aging trends in the United States.

Russia’s ‘Catastrophic’ Missing Men Problem

The Week | Nov. 5, 2022
The article highlights a blog by PRB board member Jennifer D. Sciubba about the link between demographic changes in a country and its approach to foreign policy.

Lawmakers Push to End Maternal Health Crisis

The Hill | Nov. 4, 2022
The article cites PRB reporting on the disparity in mortality rates between Black women and white women.

The Math Behind the Poverty Line: Researcher Says Calculations Don’t Account for High Housing Costs

Here & Now, WBUR | Nov. 1, 2022
Beth Jarosz discusses how the federal poverty line was set, why it’s outdated, and what changes might help.

Delaware (barely) surpasses 1 million residents − and many of them are older adults

Delaware Online | Nov. 1, 2022
The article cites a 2020 PRB article on the changes in the size of families in the United States.

‘Full-Time Work Doesn’t Pay’: Why Are So Many Working American Families Living Day to Day?

USA Today | Sept. 6, 2022
The article cites a PRB explainer on how poverty is measured in the United States.

I Work An Extra Job Because Childcare Costs More than My Salary. It’s Either That or Give Up My Career.

Market Insider | Aug. 29, 2022
The article cites KidsData’s findings on the cost of childcare in San Francisco.

Involve Stakeholders in Implementing Reproductive Health Policy

The Standard | Aug. 8, 2022
The article cites data on contraceptive use among adolescent girl from PRB’s 2021 World Population Data Sheet.

A 50 year shift to Virginia’s suburbs likely to move to the exurbs next

Virginia Public Media | July 12, 2022
Mark Mather discussed population changes in Virginia over the coming 50 years.

US Birth Rates Rose Slightly in 2021 After a Steep Drop in the First Year of the Pandemic, CDC Data Shows

CNN | May 24, 2022
Beth Jarosz discussed new data showing a slight increase in U.S. birth rates in 2021.

A Call To Action: Responding To The Crisis of Maternal Mortality

Ms. Magazine | Feb. 7, 2022

PRB’s report on the crisis in Black maternal mortality in the United States is cited.

We work with a wide range of partners in sectors including government, nonprofit, research, business, and philanthropy. Our approach focuses on evidence, audience, and context.

For more than 30 years, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has relied on PRB to build the capacity of organizations around the world to accurately and effectively convey messages to decisionmakers that propel changes in areas such as gender, family planning, and reproductive health. Our capacity-building approach supports partners’ leadership in sustainable development. We work with longstanding partners to provide resources and limited, highly specific technical assistance. For those facing institutional challenges, we provide a full suite of support, including mentorship from peer institutions, technical training, and collaborative creation of communications materials.

Researchers and decisionmakers have relied on PRB’s expertise to oversee multiple programs for the U.S. Census Bureau since 2013. In partnership with the Census Bureau, PRB created and manages communities to support researchers, data users, and policymakers working with American Community Survey (ACS) data; organizes annual ACS Data Users conferences; and plays a key role in the creation of Census Bureau data products.

PRB’s manages multiple complex technical programs for several partners and clients around the world each year.