Working Paper: CEPR ID: DP14985
Authors: Leonardo Ridolfi; Alessandro Nuvolari
Abstract: We construct a new series of GDP per capita for France for the period 1280-1850 using the demand-side approach. Our estimates point to a long run stability of the French economy with a very gradual acceleration towards modern economic growth. In comparative perspective, our new estimates suggest that England and France were characterized by similar levels of economic performance until the second half of the seventeenth century. It is only after that period that the English economy “forges ahead” in a consistent way.
Keywords: GDP; Economic Growth; France; Demand-Side Approach
JEL Codes: N13; O47
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| Agricultural output (Q11) | GDP per capita (O49) |
| Wages and prices (J31) | Agricultural output (Q11) |
| Agricultural productivity (Q11) | GDP per capita (O49) |
| Demographic trends and institutional factors (J11) | Output growth (O40) |
| French economy stability (N14) | Modern economic growth (O49) |
| Economic performance (France) (N14) | Economic performance (England) (N13) |