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Fertility trends, excess mortality, and the Great Irish Famine

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  • Cormac Ó Gráda
  • Phelim P. Boyle

Abstract

This paper estimates mortality and fertility rates prevailing in Ireland during the 25-year period before the Great Irish Famine of 1845-1849. A technique is developed to estimate the age-specific mortality level during the Famine and the number of Famine-related deaths. The paper concludes that fertility rates were declining during the period 1821-1845 and that the effects of the Famine were especially severe on the very young and the very old. Ignoring deaths among emigrants, it is estimated that one million individuals perished as a result of the Famine. The analysis permits year-by-year reconstruction of the Irish population age structure for the period 1821-1851.

Suggested Citation

  • Cormac Ó Gráda & Phelim P. Boyle, 1986. "Fertility trends, excess mortality, and the Great Irish Famine," Open Access publications 10197/401, School of Economics, University College Dublin.
    • Handle: RePEc:ucn:oapubs:10197/401
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10197/401
    File Function: Open Access version, 1986
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. By Joseph Lee, 1968. "Marriage and Population in Pre-Famine Ireland," Economic History Review, Economic History Society, vol. 21(2), pages 283-294, August.
    2. K. H. Connell, 1950. "Land And Population In Ireland, 1780-1845," Economic History Review, Economic History Society, vol. 2(3), pages 278-289, April.
    3. Michael Drake, 1963. "Marriage and Population Growth in Ireland, 1750–1845," Economic History Review, Economic History Society, vol. 16(2), pages 301-313, December.
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    Cited by:

    1. Jesús J. Sánchez-Barricarte, 2018. "Historical reproductive patterns in developed countries: Aggregate-level perspective," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 38(2), pages 37-94.
    2. Joel Mokyr & Cormac Ó Gráda, 1984. "New Developments in Irish Population History, 1700-1850," Economic History Review, Economic History Society, vol. 37(4), pages 473-488, November.
    3. Cormac Ó Gráda, 2007. "Famine demography," Working Papers 200721, School of Economics, University College Dublin.
    4. Matthias Blum & Christopher L. Colvin & Eoin McLaughlin, 2017. "Scarring and Selection in the Great Irish Famine," Discussion Papers in Environment and Development Economics 2017-10, University of St. Andrews, School of Geography and Sustainable Development.
    5. S. R. Osmani, 1996. "Famine, demography and endemic poverty," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 8(5), pages 597-623.
    6. Hollis, Aidan & Sweetman, Arthur, 2004. "Microfinance and Famine: The Irish Loan Funds during the Great Famine," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 32(9), pages 1509-1523, September.
    7. Jesús J. Sánchez-Barricarte, 2017. "The long-term determinants of marital fertility in the developed world (19th and 20th centuries): The role of welfare policies," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 36(42), pages 1255-1298.
    8. Tandon, Sharad & Vishwanath, Tara, 2021. "How well is humanitarian assistance targeted in fragile environments? Evidence from the announcement of a food emergency in Yemen," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 102(C).
    9. Cormac Ó Gráda, 2007. "The Ripple that Drowns? Twentieth-century famines in China and India as economic history," Working Papers 200719, School of Economics, University College Dublin.
    10. Curran, Declan & Fröling, Maria, 2010. "Large-scale mortality shocks and the Great Irish Famine 1845-1852," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 27(5), pages 1302-1314, September.
    11. Pat McGregor, 2004. "“Insufficient for the Support of a Family” - Wages on the Public Works During the Great Irish Famine," The Economic and Social Review, Economic and Social Studies, vol. 35(2), pages 219-239.
    12. Cormac Ó Gráda, 2008. "The ripple that drowns? Twentieth‐century famines in China and India as economic history1," Economic History Review, Economic History Society, vol. 61(s1), pages 5-37, August.

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