Malthusian dynamism and the rise of Europe: Make war, not love

Hans-Joachim Voth and Nico Voigtländer ()

Economics Working Papers from Department of Economics and Business, Universitat Pompeu Fabra

Abstract: This paper argues that Malthusian regimes are capable of sustained changes in per capita incomes. Shifting mortality and fertility schedules can lead to different steady-state income levels, with long periods of growth during the transition. Europe checked the downward pressure on wages through late marriage, which reduced fertility, and a mortality regime that combined high death rates with high incomes. We argue that both emerged as a result of the Black Death.

Keywords: Growth; Comparative Development; Technological Progress; Demographic Transition; Diversity; Human Capital; Malthusian Stagnation; Black Death (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: J11 N33 N93 R11 R23 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2009-05
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-his
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (31)

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Journal Article: Malthusian Dynamism and the Rise of Europe: Make War, Not Love (2009)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:upf:upfgen:1185

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