IUSSP at the 2026 PAA Annual Meeting

St. Louis, MO, United States, 6-9 May 2026

The Population Association of America (PAA) held its Annual Meeting in St. Louis, Missouri, from 6–9 May 2026 at the America's Center Convention Complex, bringing together more than 1,200 participants from across North America and beyond.

After missing the 2025 PAA meeting, the IUSSP returned to PAA this year with an exhibition booth and held a member-organized meeting that included a ceremony to present the IUSSP 2026 Laureate to Jane Bertrand. The meeting provided an important opportunity to reconnect with members and colleagues in North America, particularly as so many were unable to attend the International Population Conference (IPC 2025) in Brisbane. Several IUSSP Scientific Panels met during the PAA and presented outcomes of their work.

PAA also reported lower attendance at this year’s meeting compared to previous years. Concerns about immigration controls, difficulties obtaining visas, and reduced travel funding contributed to a decline in international participation. During the meeting, PAA President Marcy Carlson met with IUSSP Executive Director Mary Ellen Zuppan at the IUSSP booth to discuss ways the two organizations could strengthen international collaboration at a time when travel budgets are increasingly constrained, and visa barriers make travel to the US for international participants more difficult.

IUSSP organized a side meeting on 7 May to honor Jane Bertrand, recipient of the 2026 IUSSP Laureate Award. She was honored for her work advancing research on family planning and reproductive health, with a particular focus on improving programs and policies for vulnerable populations in low- and middle-income countries. The session attracted a strong turnout of both long-time IUSSP colleagues and younger researchers who came to celebrate Jane Bertrand's contributions.

The IUSSP Scientific Panel on Rethinking Family Planning Measurement with a Reproductive Justice and Rights Lens presented results from its Delphi survey study, Beyond Standard Indicators: Findings and Reflections from an Expert Survey on Family Planning Measurement Priorities during a session at the conference.  Ilene Speizer presented the findings, with comments by Mahesh Karra, during a session on 8 May.

The PAA Annual Meeting featured approximately 250 sessions over two and a half days. Highlights included a plenary session, NIH and the Future of Population Research: A Conversation with NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya, moderated by Will Dow. The session drew a packed audience eager to discuss the implications of recent funding cuts and changes affecting population research. PAA Past President Irma Elo delivered her Presidential Address, Stalled Progress and Enduring Inequalities: U.S. Mortality in the 21st Century.

Although attendance was lower than in previous years, the smaller size of the conference created more opportunities for meaningful discussions and networking among participants. The next PAA Annual Meeting will be held in Seattle, Washington, from 31 March to 3 April 2027. Look out for the PAA call for papers in your IUSSP email announcements or the Bulletin.