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​The Cultural Origins of the Demographic Transition in France

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  • Guillaume Blanc

    (The University of Manchester)

Abstract

This research shows that secularization accounts for the remarkably early fertility decline in France. The demographic transition, a turning point in history and an essential condition for development, began in France more than a century earlier than in any other country. Why it happened so early is one of the `big questions of history' because it challenges traditional explanations and because of data limitations. Using a novel dataset crowdsourced from publicly available genealogies, I comprehensively document the decline in fertility and its timing with a representative sample of the population. Drawing on a wide range of sources and data, I document an important process of secularization in the eighteenth century and find a strong and robust association with the timing of the transition across regions and individuals. Finally, I discuss the persistent impact of the transition on economic growth and explore the drivers of secularization.

Suggested Citation

  • Guillaume Blanc, 2023. "​The Cultural Origins of the Demographic Transition in France," Working Papers hal-02318180, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:wpaper:hal-02318180
    Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://hal.science/hal-02318180v11
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    Cited by:

    1. Faustine Perrin, 2022. "On the origins of the demographic transition: rethinking the European marriage pattern," Cliometrica, Springer;Cliometric Society (Association Francaise de Cliométrie), vol. 16(3), pages 431-475, September.
    2. Guillaume Blanc, 2024. "Demographic Transitions, Rural Flight, and Intergenerational Persistence: Evidence From Crowdsourced Genealogies," Working Papers hal-02922398, HAL.

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    Keywords

    secularization; fertility; development;
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