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The Tyranny of Numbers: Are There Acceptable Data for Nominal and Real Wages for Pre-modern China?

In: Seven Centuries of Unreal Wages

Author

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  • Kent Deng

    (London School of Economics and Political Science)

  • Patrick K. O’Brien

    (London School of Economics and Political Science)

Abstract

Estimates of the purchasing power of the pay for a Chinese unskilled labourer have repeatedly been used as a shorthand for gauging the degree of economic development. This chapter exposes the fragility of the data used to measure nominal and real wages in pre-modern China and shows ‘most of the evidence recently marshalled for the Great Divergence Debate comparing levels and trends in real wages between Qing China and Western Europe is not ‘fit for purpose.’ This has serious implications for the debate over the ‘when’, ‘why’ and ‘how’ of the ‘Great Divergence.’

Suggested Citation

  • Kent Deng & Patrick K. O’Brien, 2018. "The Tyranny of Numbers: Are There Acceptable Data for Nominal and Real Wages for Pre-modern China?," Palgrave Studies in Economic History, in: John Hatcher & Judy Z. Stephenson (ed.), Seven Centuries of Unreal Wages, chapter 3, pages 71-94, Palgrave Macmillan.
    • Handle: RePEc:pal:palscp:978-3-319-96962-6_3
    DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-96962-6_3
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    Cited by:

    1. Sullivan, Dylan & Hickel, Jason, 2023. "Capitalism and extreme poverty: a global analysis of real wages, human height, and mortality since the long 16th century," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 117731, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.

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