James Raymer obtained his PhD in Geography from the University of Colorado, Boulder, in the United States. From 2004-2012, he worked in the Division of Social Statistics, School of Social Sciences at the University of Southampton in England as a Lecturer / RCUK Academic Fellow and Reader. In January 2013, he joined the Australian Demographic and Social Research Institute (ADSRI) in the College of Arts and Social Sciences as a Professor of Demography. In July 2013, he became the Director of ADSRI.

He has published articles in demography, applied statistics, regional science and geography, and has co-authored three books entitled The Indirect Estimation of Migration, Demographic Aspects of Migration and International Migration in Europe.

He has taught undergraduate and postgraduate courses on Migration, Population Analysis and Population Projections.

He is a currently a member of the Editorial Boards for Demographic Research and Demography and is on the Council of Advisors for Population Europe.

He joined IZA as a Research Fellow in August 2004.