'demographic' originates from Greek, specifically the word 'dēmos,' meaning 'people,' and 'graphia,' meaning 'writing or description.' 'Shrinking' comes from Old English 'scrincan,' meaning 'to contract or wither.'

'Demographic' evolved from the French word 'démographique,' while 'shrinking' remained largely unchanged from its Old English roots.

Initially, 'demographic' referred to the study of populations, while 'shrinking' meant to contract. Together, they now describe a reduction in population size.