The Impact of Short-term Economic Stress on Infant and Child Mortality in Southern Sweden, 1705-1812

The ability to overcome short-term economic stress has been shown to be a good measure of the standard of living of populations in the past. From micro-level studies conducted across Europe and Asia we have learned that measures taken to smooth consumption, such as delaying births and marriages, and out-migration, were not sufficient to prevent all family members from dying in years with high food prices. Children and adult in working ages were found to be particularly sensitive to food prices. While the vulnerability in Asia depended on household position, in Europe it depended on access to land. Following these concepts and using family reconstitution data combined with information from poll-tax registers, this work examines economic inequality and social differences in child mortality to short-term economic stress in Scania from 1705 to 1812. We hereby extend further back in time the studies conducted previously in this region. Whereas no significant effects were observed in 1705-1765, in 17661812 children of all socioeconomic groups were vulnerable to increases in grain prices, showing higher mortality in years with high food prices, particularly from smallpox. We argue that this is unlikely an effects of changing nutritional status but rather to spread of disease caused by temporary job migration.