How the West "Invented" Fertility Restriction

Nico Voigtl?nder and Hans-Joachim Voth

American Economic Review, 2013, vol. 103, issue 6, 2227-64

Abstract: We analyze the emergence of the first socioeconomic institution in history limiting fertility: west of a line from St. Petersburg to Trieste, the European Marriage Pattern (EMP) reduced childbirths by approximately one-third between the fourteenth and eighteenth century. To explain the rise of EMP we build a two-sector model of agricultural production?grain and livestock. Women have a comparative advantage in animal husbandry. After the Black Death in 1348?1350, land abundance triggered a shift toward the pastoral sector. This improved female employment prospects, leading to later marriages. Using detailed data from England, we provide strong evidence for our mechanism.

JEL-codes: J12 J13 J16 N33 N53 Q11 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2013
Note: DOI: 10.1257/aer.103.6.2227
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (60)

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Related works:
Working Paper: How the West 'Invented' Fertility Restriction (2015)
Working Paper: How the West "invented" fertility restriction (2012)
Working Paper: How the West 'Invented' Fertility Restriction (2011)
Working Paper: How the West 'Invented' Fertility Restriction (2010)
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