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Demographic Transition and Industrial Revolution: A Coincidence?

Author

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  • Oksana Leukhina

    (Economics UNC - Chapel Hill)

  • Michael Bar

Abstract

All industrialized countries experienced a transition from high birth rates and stagnant standards of living to low birth rates and sustained growth in per capita income. What contributed to this transformation? Were output and population dynamics driven by common or separate forces? We develop a general equilibrium model with endogenous fertility in order to quantitatively investigate the English case. We find that mortality decline significantly influences birth rates. Increased productivity has a negligible effect on birth rates but accounts for nearly all of the increase in per capita output, industrialization, urbanization, and the decline of land share in total income

Suggested Citation

  • Oksana Leukhina & Michael Bar, 2006. "Demographic Transition and Industrial Revolution: A Coincidence?," 2006 Meeting Papers 383, Society for Economic Dynamics.
    • Handle: RePEc:red:sed006:383
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Charles Kenny, 2010. "Is Anywhere Stuck in a Malthusian Trap?," Kyklos, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 63(2), pages 192-205, May.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    demographic transition; industrial revolution; mortality; technological progress;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J10 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - General
    • O1 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development
    • O4 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity
    • E0 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - General

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