James Raymer's research focuses on the study of demographic processes. He is especially interested in how migration influences population change. He has engaged in many interdisciplinary and international research collaborations on topics ranging from statistical estimation of migration to population forecasting.  

He is currently leading a five-year project on school enrolment analyses and projections funded by the Australian Capital Territory Education Directorate.  

James Raymer obtained his PhD in Geography from the University of Colorado, Boulder, United States.

In 2013, he joined the Australian National University (ANU) from the University of Southampton as a Vice Chancellor’s Strategic Appointment in Demography, and soon assumed leadership of the Australian Demographic and Social Research Institute. As Director, he was key to the Institute’s successful transition into a School of Demography. He completed his term as Head of the School of Demography at the end of 2016.

He has published over 80 works. Many of his journal articles have been published in the top journals of demography, regional science, geography and statistics.

He has received funding for eight major competitive grants with two involving international partners and six involving interdisciplinary teams. The grants have come from the Economic and Social Research Council (UK), New Opportunities for Research Funding Cooperation Agency in Europe, the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (UK), Australian Research Council and the National Health and Medical Research Council (Australia). 

He has received consultancy funds from the European Commission / Eurostat for modelling statistical data on migration and migrant populations; Office for National Statistics for improving estimates of migration flows for Eurostat and producing a conceptual framework for UK population and migration statistics; the National Records for Scotland for reviewing methods for estimating populations with administrative data; the Australian Capital Territory Government for several projects related to school enrolment analyses and projections; the United Nations Statistical Division for the assistance in activities related to the measurement of migration; and the United Nations Population Division for developing model age and sex profiles of international migration. 

He teaches undergraduate and postgraduate courses on migration, spatial population analyses and population projections. 

Tim Carlton – Indigenous identification and measuring Indigenous outcomes

Erin Daly – How Australia is responding to the migration obstacles instigated by the Covid-19 pandemic