摘要：This paper empirically tests the predictions of the Malthusian theory with respect
to both population dynamics and income per capita stagnation in the pre-Industrial
Revolution era. The theory suggests that improvements in technology during this
period generated only temporary gains in income per capita, eventually leading to a
larger but not richer population. Using exogenous cross-country variations in land
productivity and the timing of the Neolithic Revolution, the analysis demonstrates
that, in accordance with the Malthusian theory, societies that were characterized by
higher land productivity and an earlier onset of agriculture had higher population
densities, but similar standards of living, during the time period 1-1500 CE.
关键词：Technological Progress, Population Dynamics, Malthusian Stagnation, Land
Productivity, Neolithic Revolution
