Local demographic forecasting with POPGROUP

POPGROUP is a family of software developed to forecast population, households and the labour force for areas and social groups. Now in its fourth version, it is the industry standard in the UK for demographic analysis within strategic planning.

POPGROUP itself provides models for population projections for one or more areas. Derived Forecasts provides models for household projections, labour force projections, and any other characteristics derived from an age-sex structure of population. The two sets of software are independent, but are designed to work together to assess the implications for population of housing and jobs investment.

POPGROUP is based on Excel to build on users' existing spreadsheet skills. Users develop alternative assumptions as scenarios. The user remains in control of the areas to be forecast, of data inputs, and can easily produce analytical outputs additional to the software's own flexible reporting and graphical routines.

The software implements authoritative methods that are also used by national and United Nations agencies, uses single years of age for population, and has published peer reviews.

In the UK, POPGROUP additionally provides Data Modules to replicate official projections for population and households, with plans for Data Modules for the labour force, illness and disability, ethnic groups and adult care.

While POPGROUP develops a new website, this page provides links to essential files.

Downloads and links

General

Contact emails

Manuals

Guidance

Training

  • One-day annual course in Manchester (16 June 2016)

Enquiries for other training email: ludi.simpson@manchester.ac.uk

UK national 2012-based projections: for use with POPGROUP v4

Small area projections