World's Best Scientists 2026 revealed!

D-Index & Metrics

Social Sciences and Humanities

D-Index
41
Citations
15773
World Ranking
4867
National Ranking
59

Ron Lesthaeghe publication distribution in Social Sciences and Humanities in 2026

The chart shows the distribution of publications by all Research.com ranked scientists in the field of Social Sciences and Humanities in 2026. The highlighted bar marks where Ron Lesthaeghe sits on this spectrum.

44–53 publications: 28 scientists 54–63 publications: 61 scientists 64–73 publications: 161 scientists 74–83 publications: 225 scientists 84–93 publications: 301 scientists 94–103 publications: 390 scientists 104–113 publications: 406 scientists 114–123 publications: 474 scientists 124–133 publications: 453 scientists 134–143 publications: 434 scientists 144–153 publications: 407 scientists 154–163 publications: 411 scientists 164–173 publications: 391 scientists 174–183 publications: 313 scientists 184–193 publications: 319 scientists 194–203 publications: 304 scientists 204–213 publications: 285 scientists 214–223 publications: 246 scientists 224–233 publications: 213 scientists 234–243 publications: 170 scientists 244–253 publications: 167 scientists 254–263 publications: 162 scientists 264–273 publications: 138 scientists 274–283 publications: 138 scientists 284–293 publications: 113 scientists 294–303 publications: 106 scientists 304–313 publications: 95 scientists 314–323 publications: 101 scientists 324–333 publications: 81 scientists 334–343 publications: 69 scientists 344–353 publications: 56 scientists 354–363 publications: 36 scientists 364–373 publications: 42 scientists 374–383 publications: 41 scientists 384–393 publications: 44 scientists 394–403 publications: 27 scientists 404–413 publications: 30 scientists 414–423 publications: 20 scientists 424–433 publications: 29 scientists 434–443 publications: 29 scientists 444–453 publications: 25 scientists 454–463 publications: 19 scientists 464–473 publications: 21 scientists 474–483 publications: 11 scientists 484–493 publications: 17 scientists 494–503 publications: 7 scientists 504–513 publications: 6 scientists 514–523 publications: 12 scientists 524–533 publications: 10 scientists 534–543 publications: 7 scientists 544–553 publications: 6 scientists 554–563 publications: 12 scientists 564–569 publications: 8 scientists 570+ publications: 100 scientists
44 publications 570+

This scientist: 200 publications — 64th percentile

64% of scientists in this discipline score the same or lower.

The last bar groups every scientist with 570 publications or more.

Ron Lesthaeghe D-index placement in Social Sciences and Humanities in 2026

The chart shows the D-index (discipline H-index) distribution of Social Sciences and Humanities scientists ranked by Research.com in 2026. The highlighted bar marks where Ron Lesthaeghe sits on this spectrum.

30 D-Index: 177 scientists 31 D-Index: 210 scientists 32 D-Index: 222 scientists 33 D-Index: 188 scientists 34 D-Index: 181 scientists 35 D-Index: 243 scientists 36 D-Index: 261 scientists 37 D-Index: 272 scientists 38 D-Index: 278 scientists 39 D-Index: 300 scientists 40 D-Index: 297 scientists 41 D-Index: 308 scientists 42 D-Index: 313 scientists 43 D-Index: 300 scientists 44 D-Index: 269 scientists 45 D-Index: 260 scientists 46 D-Index: 228 scientists 47 D-Index: 251 scientists 48 D-Index: 203 scientists 49 D-Index: 186 scientists 50 D-Index: 187 scientists 51 D-Index: 166 scientists 52 D-Index: 138 scientists 53 D-Index: 141 scientists 54 D-Index: 131 scientists 55 D-Index: 137 scientists 56 D-Index: 109 scientists 57 D-Index: 129 scientists 58 D-Index: 95 scientists 59 D-Index: 105 scientists 60 D-Index: 106 scientists 61 D-Index: 86 scientists 62 D-Index: 94 scientists 63 D-Index: 77 scientists 64 D-Index: 79 scientists 65 D-Index: 59 scientists 66 D-Index: 68 scientists 67 D-Index: 51 scientists 68 D-Index: 49 scientists 69 D-Index: 40 scientists 70 D-Index: 43 scientists 71 D-Index: 40 scientists 72 D-Index: 50 scientists 73 D-Index: 46 scientists 74 D-Index: 43 scientists 75 D-Index: 45 scientists 76 D-Index: 45 scientists 77 D-Index: 30 scientists 78 D-Index: 25 scientists 79 D-Index: 31 scientists 80 D-Index: 29 scientists 81 D-Index: 18 scientists 82 D-Index: 21 scientists 83 D-Index: 26 scientists 84 D-Index: 15 scientists 85 D-Index: 15 scientists 86 D-Index: 19 scientists 87 D-Index: 19 scientists 88 D-Index: 12 scientists 89 D-Index: 7 scientists 90 D-Index: 19 scientists 91 D-Index: 20 scientists 92 D-Index: 13 scientists 93 D-Index: 9 scientists 94 D-Index: 13 scientists 95 D-Index: 8 scientists 96 D-Index: 7 scientists 97 D-Index: 6 scientists 98 D-Index: 6 scientists 99 D-Index: 6 scientists 100+ D-Index: 97 scientists
30 D-Index 100+

This scientist: 41 D-Index — 38th percentile

38% of scientists in this discipline score the same or lower.

The last bar groups every scientist with 100 D-Index or more.

Research.com Recognitions

  • 2014 - Member of the National Academy of Sciences
  • 1999 - Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences
  • 1993 - Member of Academia Europaea

Overview

What is he best known for?

The fields of study he is best known for:

  • World War II
  • Law
  • Social science

His scientific interests lie mostly in Demographic transition, Economic growth, Cohabitation, Fertility and Demographic economics. His biological study spans a wide range of topics, including Economic history, Rationality, Appropriation, Interpersonal relationship and Normative. His Economic growth study incorporates themes from Political economy, Positive economics, Interpretation, Social system and Social control.

His Cohabitation research incorporates elements of Development economics, Historical demography and Demographic analysis. Ronny Lesthaeghe performs multidisciplinary study on Fertility and Postponement in his works. His Demographic economics research is multidisciplinary, incorporating perspectives in Religiosity, Social psychology, Total fertility rate, Value and Birth rate.

His most cited work include:

  • The Unfolding Story of the Second Demographic Transition (747 citations)
  • [The second demographic transition in Western countries: an interpretation] (613 citations)
  • Cultural Dynamics and Economic Theories of Fertility Change (557 citations)

What are the main themes of his work throughout his whole career to date?

Ronny Lesthaeghe spends much of his time researching Fertility, Demographic transition, Demography, Demographic economics and Cohabitation. His Fertility research incorporates themes from Developed country, Total fertility rate, Breast feeding, Developing country and Socioeconomic status. His studies deal with areas such as Autonomy, Development economics, General partnership and Secularization as well as Demographic transition.

Ronny Lesthaeghe works mostly in the field of Demography, limiting it down to topics relating to Family planning and, in certain cases, Breastfeeding. Ronny Lesthaeghe combines subjects such as Economic growth, Religiosity and Value with his study of Demographic economics. His Cohabitation research integrates issues from Economic geography, Latin Americans, Kinship, Social class and Census.

He most often published in these fields:

  • Fertility (33.55%)
  • Demographic transition (25.16%)
  • Demography (22.58%)

What were the highlights of his more recent work (between 2008-2020)?

  • Cohabitation (16.77%)
  • Demographic transition (25.16%)
  • Demographic economics (18.06%)

In recent papers he was focusing on the following fields of study:

Ronny Lesthaeghe focuses on Cohabitation, Demographic transition, Demographic economics, Fertility and Latin Americans. The study incorporates disciplines such as Social stratification, Development economics, Census and Economic geography in addition to Cohabitation. He has researched Demographic transition in several fields, including Race, Brazilian population, General partnership, Kinship and Social class.

His Demographic economics research includes elements of Economic growth, Genealogy and Secularization. His Fertility research includes themes of Total fertility rate and Demography. His Latin Americans course of study focuses on Homosexuality and Normative.

Between 2008 and 2020, his most popular works were:

  • The Unfolding Story of the Second Demographic Transition (747 citations)
  • The second demographic transition: A concise overview of its development (166 citations)
  • The Latin American Cohabitation Boom, 1970 - 2007. (88 citations)

Best Publications

  • The Unfolding Story of the Second Demographic Transition

    Ron Lesthaeghe

  • From the First to the Second Demographic Transition: An Interpretation of the Spatial Continuity of Demographic Innovation in France, Belgium and Switzerland

    Ronny Lesthaeghe;Karel Neels

  • Cultural Dynamics and Economic Theories of Fertility Change

    Ron Lesthaeghe;Johan Surkyn

  • [The second demographic transition in Western countries: an interpretation]

    Ronny Lesthaeghe

  • A Century of Demographic and Cultural Change in Western Europe: An Exploration of Underlying Dimensions

    Ronny Lesthaeghe

  • The second demographic transition: A concise overview of its development

    Ron Lesthaeghe

  • Value Orientations and the Second Demographic Transition (SDT) in Northern, Western and Southern Europe: An Update.

    Johan Surkyn;Ronny Lesthaeghe

  • The Second Demographic Transition in the United States: Exception or Textbook Example?

    Ron J. Lesthaeghe;Lisa Neidert

  • On the social control of human reproduction

    Ronny Lesthaeghe

  • Reproduction and social organization in sub-Saharan Africa

    Ron J. Lesthaeghe

  • Modes of production, secularization and the pace of the fertility decline in Western Europe, 1870-1930

    Ronny Lesthaeghe;Chris Wilson

  • The decline of Belgian fertility, 1800-1970

    Ron J Lesthaeghe

  • On Theory Development: Applications to the Study of Family Formation

    Ron Lesthaeghe

  • Is Low Fertility a Temporary Phenomenon in the European Union

    Ron Lesthaeghe;Paul Willems

  • The Latin American Cohabitation Boom, 1970 - 2007.

    Albert Esteve;Ron Lesthaeghe;Antonio López-Gay

  • Value changes and the dimensions of familism in the European community

    Ronny Lesthaeghe;Dominique Meekers

  • Recent trends in fertility and household formation in the industrialized world.

    R. Lesthaeghe;G.B.D. Moors

  • The second demographic transition, 1986–2020: sub-replacement fertility and rising cohabitation—a global update

    Ron Lesthaeghe;Ron Lesthaeghe

  • Child-spacing in tropical Africa: traditions and change

    Hilary J. Page;Ron J. Lesthaeghe

  • Living Arrangements, Socio-Economic Position, and Values Among Young Adults: A pattern description for Belgium, France, the Netherlands, and West-Germany, 1990

    Ronny Lesthaeghe;Guy Moors

  • The Decline of Belgian Fertility, 1800-1970.

    Ron J. Lesthaeghe

Frequent Co-Authors

Patrick Deboosere
Patrick Deboosere Vrije Universiteit Brussel
Tomáš Sobotka
Tomáš Sobotka Austrian Academy of Sciences
S. Philip Morgan
S. Philip Morgan University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
John Bongaarts
John Bongaarts Population Council
Barbara Entwisle
Barbara Entwisle University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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