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Growth recurring in preindustrial Spain: half a millennium perspective

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  • Álvarez Nogal, Carlos
  • Prados de la Escosura, Leandro
  • Santiago Caballero, Carlos

Abstract

Research in economic history has lately challenged the Malthusian depiction of preindustrial European economies, highlighting 'efflorescences', 'Smithian' and 'growth recurring' episodes. Do these defining concepts apply to preindustrial Spain? On the basis of new yearly estimates of output and population for nearly 600 years we show that preindustrial Spain was far from stagnant and phases of per capita growth and shrinkage alternated. Population and output per head evolved along supporting the hypothesis of a frontier economy. After a long phase of sustained and egalitarian growth, a collapse in the 1570s opened a new era of sluggish growth and high inequality. The unintended consequences of imperial ambitions in Europe on economic activity, rather than Malthusian forces, help to explain it

Suggested Citation

  • Álvarez Nogal, Carlos & Prados de la Escosura, Leandro & Santiago Caballero, Carlos, 2020. "Growth recurring in preindustrial Spain: half a millennium perspective," IFCS - Working Papers in Economic History.WH 29872, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid. Instituto Figuerola.
    • Handle: RePEc:cte:whrepe:29872
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Leandro Prados de la Escosura & Carlos Santiago-Caballero, 2018. "The Napoleonic Wars: A Watershed in Spanish History?," Working Papers 0130, European Historical Economics Society (EHES).
    2. Palma, Nuno & Reis, Jaime & Rodrigues, Lisbeth, 2023. "Historical gender discrimination does not explain comparative Western European development: evidence from Portugal, 1300-1900," Explorations in Economic History, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).
    3. Prados de la Escosura, Leandro & Rodríguez Caballero, Carlos Vladimir, 2020. "Growth, war, and pandemics: Europe in the very long-run," IFCS - Working Papers in Economic History.WH 30574, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid. Instituto Figuerola.
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    5. Remi Jedwab & Noel D. Johnson & Mark Koyama, 2022. "The Economic Impact of the Black Death," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 60(1), pages 132-178, March.
    6. Guido Alfani, 2022. "Epidemics, Inequality, and Poverty in Preindustrial and Early Industrial Times," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 60(1), pages 3-40, March.
    7. Leticia Arroyo Abad & Nuno Palma, 2020. "The Fruits of El Dorado: The Global Impact of American Precious Metals," Economics Discussion Paper Series 2003, Economics, The University of Manchester, revised May 2021.
    8. Maciej Stefański, 2020. "GDP Effects of Pandemics: A Historical Perspective," KAE Working Papers 2020-057, Warsaw School of Economics, Collegium of Economic Analysis.
    9. Carlos Álvarez-Nogal & Leandro Prados de la Escosura & Carlos Santiago-Caballero, 2020. "Economic effects of the Black Death: Spain in European perspective," Investigaciones de Historia Económica - Economic History Research (IHE-EHR), Journal of the Spanish Economic History Association, Asociación Española de Historia Económica, vol. 16(04), pages 35-48.
    10. Charotti, Carlos J. & Palma, Nuno & Pereira dos Santos, João, 2025. "American treasure and the decline of Spain," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 180(C).
    11. Adam Brzezinski & Roberto Bonfatti & K. KıvançKaraman & Nuno Palma, 2020. "Monetary Capacity," Economics Series Working Papers 926, University of Oxford, Department of Economics.
    12. Miquel-Àngel Garcia-López & Alfonso Herranz-Loncán & Filippo Tassinari & Elisabet Viladecans-Marsal, 2021. "Paving the way to modern growth. Evidence from Bourbon roads in Spain," Working Papers 0209, European Historical Economics Society (EHES).
    13. Bonfatti, Roberto & Brzezinski, Adam & Karaman, Kivanc & Palma, Nuno, 2020. "Money for taxes," CEPR Discussion Papers 15299, Centre for Economic Policy Research.
    14. Carlos Santiago-Caballero, 2021. "Domestic migrations in Spain during its first industrialisation, 1840s–1870s," Cliometrica, Journal of Historical Economics and Econometric History, Association Française de Cliométrie (AFC), vol. 15(3), pages 535-563, September.

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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • E10 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - General Aggregative Models - - - General
    • N13 - Economic History - - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics; Industrial Structure; Growth; Fluctuations - - - Europe: Pre-1913
    • O10 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - General
    • O47 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - Empirical Studies of Economic Growth; Aggregate Productivity; Cross-Country Output Convergence

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