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Michaela Potancokova

Senior Research Scholar

Multidimensional Demographic Modeling Research Group

Population and Just Societies Program

Biography

Michaela Potancokova is a demographer with research interests in multidimensional demography, population projections, and migration. She first joined the former IIASA World Population Program as a research scholar in June 2012 and returned to the institute as a research scholar in the Multidimensional Demographic Modeling Research Group of the IIASA Population and Just Societies Program in January 2020, after having worked for three years at the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre in Ispra, Italy.

Her current research focuses on migration, global human capital, and population change, as well as religious demography. She has been leading work packages in several Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe projects, contributing expertise in demographic modeling and analysis. She has worked on numerous research projects, including with the Pew Research Centre’s Forum on Religion and Public Life in Washington, DC, and Horizon Europe projects exploring the demographic and labor force impacts of migration, QuantMig, PREMIUM_EU, and Link4Skills.

Potancokova earned her PhD from Charles University in Prague in the Czech Republic in 2009. During her doctoral studies, she took part in the 2004/2005 Winter Semester Program at the International Max Planck Research School for Demography in Rostock, Germany, and in 2005 she received an RTN stipend at the Population Research Centre at the University of Groningen, The Netherlands. Prior to joining IIASA she worked as a demographer in the Demographic Research Centre in Bratislava, Slovakia.

Last update: 06 FEB 2024

Publications

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Potančoková, M. , Nicoletti Altimari, M.P., & Reiter, C. (2026). Skill gaps between natives and immigrants in Europe: evidence from two cycles of PIAAC survey. IIASA Working Paper. Laxenburg, Austria: WP-26-002

Marois, G. , Potančoková, M. , Bezat, A., & Crespo Cuaresma, J. (2026). Projecting Labour Market Imbalances and Skill Mismatch Under Demographic Change in the EU. European Journal of Population 42 e4. 10.1007/s10680-025-09758-2.

Marois, G. , Potančoková, M. , K.C., S., Goujon, A. , Whitelaw, E., Branson, N., Fonta, C., Kwawu, J., Mariti, R., Mugwendere, T., Ngwenya, C., & Lutz, W. (2026). African Human Capital Data Sheet 2026: Past trends, skills, and future pathways. Wittgenstein Centre (IIASA, VID/OeAW, University of Vienna) and University of Cape Town , Laxenburg, Austria.

Marois, G. , Potančoková, M. , K.C., S., Goujon, A. , Whitelaw, E., Branson, N., Fonta, C., Kwawu, J., Mariti, R., Mugwendere, T., Ngwenya, C., & Lutz, W. (2026). African Human Capital Data Sheet 2026: Past trends, skills, and future pathways. Country profile Senegal. Wittgenstein Centre (IIASA, VID/OeAW, University of Vienna) and University of Cape Town , Laxenburg, Austria.

Kreyenfeld, M., di Lego, V.G., Permanyer, I., Potančoková, M. , & Sanchez-Romero, M. (2025). Population inequality matters. Vienna Yearbook of Population Research 2025 (1) 1-14. 10.1553/p-5eef-bmjp.