Daniël van Wijk

Daniël van Wijk is a postdoctoral researcher at the Netherlands Interdisciplinary Demographic Institute (NIDI), specializing in family formation, socioeconomic inequality, and contextual effects. His research investigates how economic conditions faced by young adults influence their family life decisions, particularly regarding childbearing, using advanced quantitative methods and diverse data sources including register data and panel surveys.

Education:

• PhD in Demography, University of Groningen (2023)
• Research Master in Urban and Economic Geography, Utrecht University

Van Wijk's research focuses on the intersection of economic conditions and demographic behavior, particularly examining how employment status, income levels, and perceived economic uncertainty affect family formation decisions. His work reveals that higher incomes are increasingly associated with higher fertility rates in the Netherlands, while housing affordability challenges and economic insecurity contribute to fertility postponement among young adults. He investigates how these patterns vary across different socioeconomic groups and how disadvantage in social environments influences fertility decisions.

His publication record demonstrates a strong focus on Dutch demographic trends, with particular attention to the relationship between economic conditions and family formation. Recent work examines the impact of joblessness on fertility decisions, showing that the negative effect of unemployment on first births is weaker among disadvantaged groups where joblessness is normalized within social networks. His research combines theoretical insights from demography and social stratification with innovative register data analysis.

Van Wijk contributes to several significant projects including 'Achtergrondstudies Bevolking 2050', 'Employment insecurity and family formation patterns in the Netherlands', and coordination of the European Social Survey in the Netherlands. His work has important implications for understanding demographic trends and developing policies that address the economic barriers to family formation faced by young adults.