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Malthusian Models and Chinese Realities: The Chinese Demographic System 1700–2000

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  • James Lee
  • Wang Feng

Abstract

This article summarizes major recent findings on Chinese demographic behavior and outlines their relevancy for the Malthusian model of comparative population dynamics and Chinese population in particular. Specifically, it considers four distinctive and persistent features of Chinese behavior during the last 300 years—high rates of female infanticide and abortion, high rates of bachelorhood, low marital fertility, and high rates of male and female adoption–and discusses the origins and implications of such a demographic regime for Chinese economic and social development. Contrasting Chinese demographic behavior with European demographic behavior, the article argues the existence of a demographic system and a demographic transition different from current Malthusian and neo‐Malthusian models, and the existence of a system regulating collective demographic behavior in ways distinctly different from Western experience.

Suggested Citation

  • James Lee & Wang Feng, 1999. "Malthusian Models and Chinese Realities: The Chinese Demographic System 1700–2000," Population and Development Review, The Population Council, Inc., vol. 25(1), pages 33-65, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:popdev:v:25:y:1999:i:1:p:33-65
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1728-4457.1999.00033.x
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    Cited by:

    1. Deng, Kent & O'Brien, Patrick, 2021. "The Kuznetsian paradigm for the study of modern economic history and the Great Divergence with appendices of literature review and statistical data," Economic History Working Papers 108563, London School of Economics and Political Science, Department of Economic History.
    2. Kimberly Singer Babiarz & Paul Ma & Shige Song & Grant Miller, 2019. "Population sex imbalance in China before the One-Child Policy," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 40(13), pages 319-358.
    3. Anning Hu & Felicia Tian, 2018. "Still under the ancestors' shadow? Ancestor worship and family formation in contemporary China," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 38(1), pages 1-26.

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