Project DEM-LOSS examines how persistent social inequalities in mortality translate into inequalities in the loss of family members, and how the experience of bereavement shapes individuals’ lives. The ERC-funded study develops a unified framework for understanding the social and demographic determinants of bereavement in relation to its intensity, timing, and anticipation across the life course.

Using population-wide, multigenerational data from Sweden and Israel, the project investigates how the burden of bereavement varies across social groups while accounting for differences in kinship structures and in kin mortality. It further explores how unequal experiences of loss affect expectations, wellbeing, and behavior among individuals and populations.