Farhat Yusuf died in Sydney, Australia on 14th October 2025 aged 85. A long-time and active IUSSP member, he joined IUSSP in 1967. He chaired the IUSSP Scientific Panel on Business Demography (2007-2009).
Farhat Yusuf was born in 1940 in Delhi in what was then British India. Post-independence and partition, he moved with his parents to Pakistan. He was awarded a PhD in Demography by the Australian National University (ANU) in 1967. Following a period in Pakistan, in 1970 he returned to Australia to take up a Senior Lecturer position at Macquarie University in Sydney, He played a major role in the development of its ground-breaking undergraduate program in Demography. He worked at Macquarie University for over 40 years, rising to the rank of Professor. After his retirement in 2011, he remained an active researcher. In 2015, he was honoured by the Government of Australia by being made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM).
Farhat co-authored four books. First published in 1974, Demographic Techniques (with then colleagues Alf Pollard and Geoff Pollard) became the textbook of choice for a generation of demographers around the world. Consumer Demographics and Behaviour: Markets are People (with Jo Martins and David Swanson), published in 2011, reflected his emerging interest in the field of Business Demography. Another fine introductory textbook (also with Martins and Swanson), Methods of Demographic Analysis was published in 2014.
Farhat authored a large number of solid data-based journal articles, both in Demography and in Public Health. His diverse range of research topics included; family planning, fertility, biomedical demography, mortality, tobacco use and household expenditure. His obvious passion for research was sustained for over six decades, with his most recent paper appearing only shortly before his death in 2025.
In addition to his contributions to IUSSP, Farhat played a leading role in the development of the Australian Population Association (APA), especially in broadening its focus beyond the ANU. He was proud to claim to having been the APA’s first National President. He was a driving force in the APA’s New South Wales Regional Group for many years.
He acted as a consultant at various international organisations, including the UN Population Fund, the UN Development Programme, and the International Agency for Research on Cancer, and built extensive networks across government, business, and academia.
Farhat Yusuf is survived by his wife, two daughters, one son, four grandchildren and four greatgrandchildren. Sadly, the Demography Program at Macquarie University to which he devoted much energy has been discontinued. He leaves a substantial legacy of knowledge creation and mentorship and will be missed by friends and colleagues around the world.
Nick Parr, Honorary Professor, Macquarie University