ABSTRACT
It is difficult to produce reliable figures for the population of Europe before the nineteenth century. In the early modern period few territories held regular and systematic censuses of their population; although there were some exceptions, notably the Grand Duchy of Tuscany and the Republic of Venice. Even then the figures may mislead, as those exempt from taxation might be excluded from the total. Historians have estimated the level of population using many indicators and whatever forms of evidence are available. These include tax assessments and returns, baptismal and burial records, muster lists for military service, and techniques of ‘family reconstitution', which provide insight into the size of households, marriage patterns and fertility. As a result, estimates made by different historians vary considerably. The figures given below are not accurate but give some indication of probable population levels and demographic fluctuations. Population Of Early Modern Europe By Country (In Millions)
|
1500 |
1550 |
1600 |
1650 |
1700 |
1750 |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Scandinavia |
1.5 |
1.7 |
2 |
2.6 |
2.9 |
3.4 |
|
England and Wales |
2.6 |
3.2 |
4.4 |
5.6 |
5.8 |
6.5 |
|
Scotland |
0.8 |
0.9 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1.3 |
|
Ireland |
1 |
1.1 |
1.4 |
1.8 |
2.8 |
3.1 |
|
Germany |
12 |
14 |
16 |
12 |
16 |
19 |
|
France |
16.4 |
19 |
19 |
20 |
20 |
24.6 |
|
Italy |
10.5 |
11.4 |
13.1 |
11.3 |
13.4 |
15.5 |
|
Spain |
6.8 |
7.4 |
8.1 |
7.1 |
8 |
9 |
|
Austria/Bohemia/Moravia |
3.5 |
3.6 |
4.3 |
4.1 |
4.6 |
5.7 |
|
Portugal |
1 |
1 |
1.4 |
1.5 |
2.3 |
2.8 |
|
Netherlands |
0.95 |
1.25 |
1.5 |
1.9 |
1.9 |
1.9 |
|
Belgium |
1.4 |
1.65 |
1.6 |
2 |
2 |
2.2 |
|
Poland |
1 |
1.2 |
1.1 |
1.2 |
2 |
2.3 |
|
Switzerland |
0.65 |
0.8 |
1 |
1 |
1.2 |
1.3 |
|
Russia |
9 |
15.5 |
17.5 |
|||
|
Balkans |
7 |
8 |
8 |
