The population of early modern Europe

After a long century of population loss, the period from 1347 to the later 15th century, Europe in the early modern era experienced a strong recovery. The recovery did not come without setbacks, but in general the population in any given place in Europe reached the level it had had prior to 1347 some time during these two centuries. This fundamental fact of rising population affected all sorts of things, from economics to social relations to immigration patterns.

Some numbers

Here as elsewhere for our period, we finally can provide some reasonably reliable statistics. Here are some population levels for European cities in the early 16th century.

Bristol 12,000 Lübeck 20,000 Strassburg 25,000
Cologne 35,000 Florence 50,000 Genoa 50,000
London 60,000 Venice 100,000 Naples 100,000
Milan 100,000 Paris 200,000 Constantinople 500,000

By 1700, the following cities were up over 100,000: London, Rome, Seville, Antwerp, Amsterdam, and Palermo.

Demographic Crises

Chronic, throughout our period, but with some especially bad stretches. Here is the beginning of a list. P = plague of one sort or another; if the type is known, it's indicated in parentheses. F = famine.
Year(s) Location Type
1527 England F
1531 France F
1556-7 Europe F
1563-6 Europe P
1575-7 Italy P
1590-1 Sicily F
1590-1 Italy P
1593 London P
1599 Spain P
1603 London P
1606 Scotland P
1606-07 Sicily F
1610-11 Switzerland P
1615-16 Switzerland P
1625 London P
1629-31 Switzerland P
1630-31 Italy P
1636-37 London P
1647-8 Scotland P
1656 Italy P
1660-2 France F
1665 London P
1667-8 Switzerland P
1680 Sardinia F
1693-4 France F
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