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Post‐Malthusian Dynamics in Pre‐Industrial Scandinavia
Author(s) -
Klemp Marc,
Møller Niels Framroze
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
the scandinavian journal of economics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.725
H-Index - 64
eISSN - 1467-9442
pISSN - 0347-0520
DOI - 10.1111/sjoe.12155
Subject(s) - economics , economic stagnation , industrial revolution , population growth , demographic transition , position (finance) , technological change , population , phenomenon , development economics , demographic economics , macroeconomics , fertility , geography , political science , demography , sociology , law , physics , quantum mechanics , archaeology , finance , politics
Theories of economic growth hypothesize that the transition from pre‐industrial stagnation to sustained growth is associated with a post‐Malthusian phase in which technological progress raises income and spurs population growth while offsetting diminishing returns to labor. Evidence suggests that England was characterized by post‐Malthusian dynamics preceding the Industrial Revolution. However, given England's special position as the forerunner of the Industrial Revolution, it is unclear if a transitory post‐Malthusian period is a general phenomenon. Using data from Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, this research provides evidence for the existence of a post‐Malthusian phase in the transition from stagnation to growth in Scandinavia.