Demographic history

Estimating the ancestral population of anatomically modern humans, Colin McEvedy and Richard Jones chose bounds based on gorilla and chimpanzee population densities of 1/km2 and 3-4/km2,[1] respectively, then assumed that as Homo erectus moved up the food chain, they lost an order of magnitude in density.

After the beginning of the Iron Age, growth rate reached its peak with a doubling time of 500 years.

This "primary cycle" was, at this time in history, confined to Europe, North Africa, and mainland Asia.

[4] McEvedy and Jones describe a secondary, "medieval cycle" being led by feudal Europe and Song China from around 900 AD.

European population reached a peak growth rate of 10 per thousand per year in the second half of the 19th century.

Other factors included rising incomes and better living conditions, improved better nutrition, a safer and cleaner environmental, and better official health policies and medical care.

[15] Severe overcrowding in the cities caused major public health problems, as noted in an official report from 1938:[16] China has older bureaucratic records than any other country.

[22] Middle class households did the opposite due to their higher economic means and their infant female mortality rate declined.

[25] Karl Julius Beloch (and for Russia, Yaroslav Vodarsky) estimated the population of early modern Europe, circa 1600 as follows:[26][27]