Overview

Das Demografie Netzwerk e.V or The Demography Network is a nonprofit German network founded in March 2006 on the initiative of the Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs. Its mission is to engage with demographic change by helping companies, institutions, and society anticipate and shape its impacts, especially in relation to workforce aging, securing skilled workers and retaining employees, skills development, intergenerational cooperation, diversity, and digital transformation. The Network connects over 400 member organizations, including companies, public institutions, and research centers, that exchange best practices and collaborate on projects related to workforce development, digitalization, and sustainable demographic management.

Examples of key activities:

• Networking and forums
  • Brings together companies, associations, research institutions, and public-sector actors in exchange forums, working groups, and regional networks.
• Knowledge production
  • Conducts surveys (e.g., the annual “ddn-Index” on attitudes to retirement and aging in the workforce) to document how demographic change is viewed and experienced in Germany.
• Best-practice dissemination and project work
  • Supports applied projects themes such as Learning & Qualification, Digital Transformation, Health & Prevention, New Work/Key Workers, and awards the “Deutscher Demografie Preis” (German Demography Prize) to exemplary initiatives.

Background

The Network was created in response to growing concern in Germany about the long-term effects of demographic change on the economy, labor market, and social systems. At that time, research and government reports were showing that Germany’s population was aging rapidly and shrinking overall, trends that posed major challenges for workforce sustainability, productivity, and economic growth.

The Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (BMAS) and the Initiative Neue Qualität der Arbeit (INQA) recognized that demographic change would require more than policy reform; it demanded active cooperation between employers, employees, researchers, and policymakers. As a result, they helped launch the Network as a multi-sector platform where organizations could share strategies and develop innovative approaches.

Funders

German Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs

Partners

• Industry associations and companies such as Deutsche Bahn AG, ING Deutschland SE and Zeit Verlagsgruppe
• Public and regional networks: regional ddn networks exist in multiple German states (e.g., Bayern, Berlin-Brandenburg, Hamburg)
• Research institutions and academic collaborators

Resources

Bundesministerium für Arbeit und Soziales. (n.d.). Das Demographie Netzwerk (ddn). Initiative Neue Qualität der Arbeit (INQA). Retrieved October 29, 2025, from https://www.inqa.de/DE/vernetzen/netzwerke/inqa-netzwerke/das-demographie-netzwerk.html

Das Demographie Netzwerk e.V. (n.d.). Regionale Netzwerke. Retrieved October 29, 2025, from https://production.demographie-netzwerk.de/leistungen/vernetzung-austausch/regionale-netzwerke/

Deutscher Demografie Preis. (n.d.). Partner. Retrieved October 29, 2025, from https://deutscher-demografie-preis.de/partner/

Deutsches Forschungszentrum für Künstliche Intelligenz (DFKI). (n.d.). NAWID – Digitalisation, professional training and demography. Retrieved October 29, 2025, from https://www.dfki.de/en/web/research/projects-and-publications/project/nawid

Bundesnetzwerk Bürgerschaftliches Engagement (BBE). (n.d.). Das Demographie Netzwerk e.V. (ddn). Retrieved October 29, 2025, from https://www.b-b-e.de/mitglieder/verzeichnis/detail/demographie-netzwerk-ev-ddn/