History 102Ð Urbanization and the Rural
Population
Growth of the Urban Population and Levels of
Urbanization in Europe (except Russia):[1]
Year |
Total pop. (Millions) |
Urban pop. (millions) |
Annual variation % |
Urbanization % of total pop. |
Urbanization Annual variation % |
1700 |
102 |
12.6 |
- |
12.3 |
- |
1750 |
120 |
14.7 |
0.3 |
12.2 |
0.0 |
1800 |
154 |
18.6 |
0.5 |
12.1 |
0.0 |
1850 |
203 |
38.3 |
1.5 |
18.9 |
0.9 |
1880 |
243 |
71.4 |
2.1 |
29.3 |
1.5 |
1900 |
285 |
108.3 |
2.1 |
37.9 |
1.3 |
1910 |
312 |
127.1 |
1.6 |
40.8 |
0.7 |
1930 |
333 |
159.7 |
1.1 |
47.9 |
0.8 |
1950 |
367 |
186.0 |
0.8 |
50.7 |
0.3 |
1970 |
427 |
271.8 |
1.9 |
63.7 |
1.2 |
1980 |
453 |
301.0 |
1.0 |
66.5 |
0.4 |
Rural vs. Urban Population in Europe (except Russia):[2]
Year |
Total pop. (Millions) |
Rural
pop. (millions) |
Urban pop. (millions) |
Rural
pop. as % of total |
Urban pop. % of total |
1700 |
102 |
89.4 |
12.6 |
87.7 |
12.3 |
1750 |
120 |
105.3 |
14.7 |
87.8 |
12.2 |
1800 |
154 |
135.4 |
18.6 |
87.9 |
12.1 |
1850 |
203 |
164.7 |
38.3 |
81.1 |
18.9 |
1880 |
243 |
171.6 |
71.4 |
70.7 |
29.3 |
1900 |
285 |
176.7 |
108.3 |
62.1 |
37.9 |
1910 |
312 |
184.9 |
127.1 |
59.2 |
40.8 |
1930 |
333 |
173.3 |
159.7 |
52.1 |
47.9 |
1950 |
367 |
181.0 |
186.0 |
49.3 |
50.7 |
1970 |
427 |
155.2 |
271.8 |
36.3 |
63.7 |
1980 |
453 |
152.0 |
301.0 |
33.5 |
66.5 |
Savoy |
19 December 1771 |
Baden |
23 July 1783 |
Denmark |
20 June 1788 |
France |
3 November 1789 |
Switzerland |
4 May 1798 |
Schleswig-Holstein |
19 December 1804 |
Grand Duchy of Warsaw (Poland) |
22 July 1807 |
Prussia |
9 October 1807 |
Bavaria |
31 August 1808 |
Nassau |
1 September 1812 |
Estonia |
23 March 1816 |
Courland |
25 August 1817 |
Livonia |
26 March 1819 |
Saxony |
17 March 1832 |
Austria |
7 September 1848 |
Hungary |
2 March 1853 |
Russia |
19 February 1861 |
Danubian Principalities (Romania) |
14 August 1864 |
Industrialization and the
world
Date/country |
1750 |
1800 |
1830 |
1860 |
1880 |
1900 |
1913 |
Britain |
10 |
16 |
25 |
64 |
87 |
100 |
115 |
Belgium |
9 |
10 |
14 |
28 |
43 |
56 |
88 |
U.S.A. |
4 |
9 |
14 |
21 |
38 |
69 |
126 |
France |
9 |
9 |
12 |
20 |
28 |
39 |
59 |
Germany |
8 |
8 |
9 |
15 |
25 |
52 |
85 |
Austria |
7 |
7 |
8 |
11 |
15 |
23 |
32 |
Italy |
8 |
8 |
8 |
10 |
12 |
17 |
26 |
Russia |
6 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
10 |
15 |
20 |
China |
8 |
6 |
6 |
4 |
4 |
3 |
3 |
India |
7 |
6 |
6 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
N.B. All entries are based on an index of 100, equal to the per capita level of industrialization in Great Britain in 1900.
1) All equal in 1750, with Britain edging away
2) By 1800 Britain had opened up a lead, on which it built over century
3) Variations in timing of industrialization across countries, from Belgium to Germany
4) By 1900 USA and Germany closing on Britain; USA passes it by 1913
5) All European countries, even Russia, did very well relative to rest.
[1] Taken from Bairoch, Cities and Economic
Development, Table 13.2, p. 216.
[2] My calculations based on Bairoch, Cities and
Economic Development, Table 13.2, p.
216.
[3] Adapted from Jerome
Blum, The End of the Old Order in Rural Europe (Princeton: Princeton
University Press, 1978), p. 356.
[4] Adapted from P. Bairoch, ÒInternational Industrialization
Levels from 1750-1890,Ó Journal of European Economic History 11 (Fall 1982), p. 294. Data for Britain is actually for the United Kingdom,
including Ireland with England, Wales and Scotland.