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Abstract

Foreign influence on South China increasingly disrupted the economy from the late eighteenth century. Many scholars believe the standard of living fell, while others point to positive gains from increased integration with the world economy. The paper estimates the secular trend in the average height of the southern Chinese in the nineteenth century based on data from prison registers in colonial Australia. Contrary to the pessimist view, height began to decline obviously only from the 1850s, a product of the dislocation effects of revolts and rebellions. At 163-164cm, the Chinese were of similar stature to the military conscripts of some European countries in the early-to-mid nineteenth century.

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File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/B6WFJ-4S5KXCJ-1/2/8d1c6968647ed266efb0f9313a473c79
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Bibliographic Info

Article provided by Elsevier in its journal Explorations in Economic History.

Volume (Year): 46 (2009)
Issue (Month): 1 (January)
Pages: 53-69

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Handle: RePEc:eee:exehis:v:46:y:2009:i:1:p:53-69

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Web page: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/inca/622830

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Keywords: China Stature Height Economic development Nineteenth century Standard of living Great divergence;

References

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1. Stephen L. Morgan, 2006. "Australian Immigration Archives As Sources For Business And Economic History," Australian Economic History Review, Economic History Society of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 46(3), pages 268-282, November.
2. Olds, Kelly B., 2003. "The biological standard of living in Taiwan under Japanese occupation," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 1(2), pages 187-206, June.
3. Robert W. Fogel, 1994. "Economic Growth, Population Theory, and Physiology: The Bearing of Long-Term Processes on the Making of Economic Policy," NBER Working Papers 4638, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
   
   • Fogel, Robert W, 1994. "Economic Growth, Population Theory, and Physiology: The Bearing of Long-Term Processes on the Making of Economic Policy," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 84(3), pages 369-95, June.
   • Fogel, Robert W., 1993. "Economic Growth, Population Theory, and Physiology: The Bearing of Long-Term Processes on the Making of Economic Policy," Nobel Prize in Economics documents 1993-1, Nobel Prize Committee.
4. Richard H. Steckel, 1995. "Stature and the Standard of Living," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 33(4), pages 1903-1940, December.

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Cited by:

1. Robert Rudolf, 2012. "Rural Reforms, Agricultural Productivity, and the Biological Standard of Living in South Korea, 1941-1974," Courant Research Centre: Poverty, Equity and Growth - Discussion Papers 106, Courant Research Centre PEG.
2. Richard H. Steckel, 2008. "Heights and Human Welfare: Recent Developments and New Directions," NBER Working Papers 14536, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
   
   • Steckel, Richard H., 2009. "Heights and human welfare: Recent developments and new directions," Explorations in Economic History, Elsevier, vol. 46(1), pages 1-23, January.

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