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Longevity and the rise of the West: lifespans of the European elite, 800-1800

Cummins, Neil (2014) Longevity and the rise of the West: lifespans of the European elite, 800-1800. Economic History working paper series (209/2014). London School of Economics and Political Science, London, UK.

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Abstract

I analyse the age at death of 121,524 European nobles from 800 to 1800. Longevity began increasing long before 1800 and the Industrial Revolution, with marked increases around 1400 and again around 1650. Declines in violence contributed to some of this increase, but the majority must reflect other changes in individual behavior. The areas of North-West Europe which later witnessed the Industrial Revolution achieved greater longevity than the rest of Europe even by 1000AD. The data suggest that the `Rise of the West' originates before the Black Death.

Item Type: Monograph (Working Paper)
Official URL: http://www.lse.ac.uk/economicHistory/home.aspx
Additional Information: © 2014 The Author
Divisions: Economic History
Subjects: D History General and Old World > D History (General) > D901 Europe (General)
H Social Sciences > HN Social history and conditions. Social problems. Social reform
JEL classification: J - Labor and Demographic Economics > J1 - Demographic Economics > J11 - Demographic Trends and Forecasts
N - Economic History > N3 - Labor and Consumers, Demography, Education, Health, Income, and Wealth
Date Deposited: 18 Dec 2014 15:49
Last Modified: 15 Sep 2023 23:33
URI: http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/id/eprint/60555

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