{"id":3075,"date":"2023-12-18T13:30:05","date_gmt":"2023-12-18T13:30:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/edinburgh1.one\/?p=3075"},"modified":"2025-07-03T18:38:24","modified_gmt":"2025-07-03T17:38:24","slug":"william-brass-the-pioneer-of-modern-demography","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/edinburgh1.one\/en\/eternal\/william-brass-the-pioneer-of-modern-demography-3075","title":{"rendered":"William Brass: The Pioneer of Modern Demography"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>From a scientific perspective, a region&#8217;s population is a fascinating subject. It is far more than just a collection of people living in one area; by studying a specific population, one can learn a great deal about its underlying economic, social, geographical, and biological factors. Read more about at\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/edinburgh1.one\/en\">edinburgh1.one<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Throughout the history of science, new figures have emerged who dedicated their lives to the study of populations\u2014in other words, to demography. This article explores the life of a Scottish scientist who was deeply interested in the principles of population development. Through his work, he became the architect of <strong>indirect methods for estimating mortality and fertility<\/strong>, even when using incomplete and inaccurate data. That man was William Brass.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_74 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a2e209a59e9e\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a2e209a59e9e\"  aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/edinburgh1.one\/en\/eternal\/william-brass-the-pioneer-of-modern-demography-3075\/#Early_Years\" >Early Years<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/edinburgh1.one\/en\/eternal\/william-brass-the-pioneer-of-modern-demography-3075\/#Scientific_Activity\" >Scientific Activity<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/edinburgh1.one\/en\/eternal\/william-brass-the-pioneer-of-modern-demography-3075\/#A_New_Stage\" >A New Stage<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/edinburgh1.one\/en\/eternal\/william-brass-the-pioneer-of-modern-demography-3075\/#The_East_Africa_Breakthrough\" >The East Africa Breakthrough<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/edinburgh1.one\/en\/eternal\/william-brass-the-pioneer-of-modern-demography-3075\/#Legacy\" >Legacy<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Early_Years\"><\/span>Early Years<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"1067\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.edinburgh1.one\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/59\/2025\/07\/image-38.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3076\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.edinburgh1.one\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/59\/2025\/07\/image-38.png 800w, https:\/\/cdn.edinburgh1.one\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/59\/2025\/07\/image-38-225x300.png 225w, https:\/\/cdn.edinburgh1.one\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/59\/2025\/07\/image-38-768x1024.png 768w, https:\/\/cdn.edinburgh1.one\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/59\/2025\/07\/image-38-696x928.png 696w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The future scientist was born in Edinburgh. He began his education at the prestigious Royal High School. After completing his school years, William became a student at the University of Edinburgh. In 1947, he earned a Master&#8217;s degree in Natural Philosophy and Mathematics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Scientific_Activity\"><\/span>Scientific Activity<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Brass&#8217;s interest in demography did not emerge immediately. He began to engage with the science in 1948, when he held the post of statistician, and later Deputy Director, at the East African Statistical Department in Nairobi. His role involved collecting and analysing data for Tanganyika, Kenya, Zanzibar, and Uganda. During his tenure, the Department was able to conduct a complete census of East Africa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"A_New_Stage\"><\/span>A New Stage<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The year 1955 marked the beginning of Brass&#8217;s teaching career. From then until 1964, he lectured in statistics at the University of Aberdeen. He spent his sabbatical at Princeton University, where he collaborated with other scientists to develop methods for overcoming the challenge of poor-quality demographic data from Africa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_East_Africa_Breakthrough\"><\/span>The East Africa Breakthrough<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>When considering William&#8217;s scientific career, it is clear that East Africa was the region where it all began for him. It was there that he developed a methodology to obtain statistics on fertility, mortality, and population growth, <strong>even from incomplete and imperfect data<\/strong>. The scientist also created a method of using very simple questions to obtain the necessary information. For example, respondents could be asked whether both of their parents were still alive, or only one. Based on these answers, it was possible to conduct robust demographic research.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Beyond this, William was also interested in population modelling and British demography. He analysed the role of female employment and correctly predicted that the high birth rates among immigrant communities in the 1970s could not be sustained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Legacy\"><\/span>Legacy<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Demography is a science that requires immense attention to detail. To conduct a thorough study of any population group demands great patience, ensuring that not a single detail is missed. This was a skill William Brass mastered brilliantly. The scientist produced excellent results, developing valuable techniques and making unique predictions. His methods and the data he produced subsequently became enormously important to the demographers who continued his work, studying and researching populations around the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Brass passed away on 11 November 1999, but his name is etched into the history of the vital and fascinating science of demography.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>From a scientific perspective, a region&#8217;s population is a fascinating subject. It is far more than just a collection of people living in one area; by studying a specific population, one can learn a great deal about its underlying economic, social, geographical, and biological factors. Read more about at\u00a0edinburgh1.one. Throughout the history of science, new [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":459,"featured_media":3079,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1166],"tags":[2061,2055,2036,2050,2063,2051,2058,2053,2056,2062,2057,2054,2065,2052],"moimportance":[82,78,81],"motype":[1158],"moformat":[83],"class_list":{"0":"post-3075","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-education","8":"tag-british-demography","9":"tag-east-african-demography","10":"tag-edinburgh-scientist","11":"tag-fertility-rates","12":"tag-incomplete-data-analysis","13":"tag-indirect-estimation-methods","14":"tag-mortality-rates","15":"tag-pioneer-of-modern-demography","16":"tag-population-modelling","17":"tag-population-studies","18":"tag-scottish-demographer","19":"tag-university-of-aberdeen","20":"tag-university-of-edinburgh-2","21":"tag-william-brass","22":"moimportance-aktualna-bilshe-roku","23":"moimportance-golovna-novina","24":"moimportance-retranslyacziya-v-agregatori","25":"motype-eternal","26":"moformat-vlasna"},"modified_by":"Yevheniia Shevchenko","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/edinburgh1.one\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3075","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/edinburgh1.one\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/edinburgh1.one\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edinburgh1.one\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/459"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edinburgh1.one\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3075"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/edinburgh1.one\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3075\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3081,"href":"https:\/\/edinburgh1.one\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3075\/revisions\/3081"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edinburgh1.one\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3079"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/edinburgh1.one\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3075"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edinburgh1.one\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3075"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edinburgh1.one\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3075"},{"taxonomy":"moimportance","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edinburgh1.one\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/moimportance?post=3075"},{"taxonomy":"motype","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edinburgh1.one\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/motype?post=3075"},{"taxonomy":"moformat","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edinburgh1.one\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/moformat?post=3075"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}