The Economic Journal· 2026Q1
The cultural origins of the demographic transition in France
- 11citations
- Q1SCImago
- 2026year
Short summary
Secularization, not traditional factors, explains France's century-earlier fertility decline, according to a novel genealogy dataset.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Key points
- Secularization is identified as the key factor behind France's early fertility decline.
- A novel dataset crowdsourced from online genealogies was used to document the fertility decline.
- A strong association was found between the timing of the demographic transition and the loss of Catholic Church influence.
- The study explores the drivers of secularization and the transition's impact on economic growth.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Abstract
Abstract This research shows that secularization accounts for the early fertility decline in France. Why the demographic transition began in France a century before any other country is one of the big questions of history because it challenges traditional explanations and because of data limitations. Using a novel dataset crowdsourced from online genealogies, I comprehensively document the decline and its timing. Then, I document the loss of influence of the Catholic Church and find a strong and robust association with the timing of the transition. Finally, I explore the drivers of secularization and discuss the transition’s impact on economic growth.
The authors' abstract, as published at the source. The Economic Journal, 2026 · DOI ↗
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Field: Economics and Econometrics
Economics and EconometricsEconomics, Econometrics and Finance