Europe: urbanization estimates 1300-1850

It is estimated that, between the 14^th and 19^th centuries, fewer than 10 percent of Europe's population lived in urban areas with a population of more than 10,000 people, and fewer than 13 percent lived in urban areas with more than 5,000 people. The two given sources use different methodologies* for their estimates, which gives varying but comparable estimates for urbanization rates across Europe. Perhaps surprisingly, Bairoch estimates that the urbanization rate increased during the 14^th century, a period where Europe's population fell by 25-33 percent due to the Black Death. From the 19^th century onwards, urbanization in Europe rose significantly due to the rise of industrialization and increased agricultural efficiency.

Estimates of the share of Europe's population living in towns of more than 5,000 and 10,000 people in selected years between 1300 and 1850

Source* and year	>5,000	>10,000
Bairoch:1300	9.5%	6.3%
Bairoch:1400	12.5%	-
Bairoch:1500	10.3%	6.4%
Bairoch:1600	11.7%	7.6%
Bairoch:1700	11.4%	7.8%
Bairoch:1800	11.9%	8.1%
-	-	-
De Vries:1500	9.6%	5.6%
De Vries:1600	10.8%	7.6%
De Vries:1700	11.9%	9.2%
De Vries:1800	13%	10%
De Vries:1850	-	16.7%

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Release date

2009

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Region

Europe

Survey time period

1300 to 1850

Supplementary notes

*The sources differ in the areas taken into consideration. Bairoch's estimates take the entire continent into account, except for Turkey (which would include Constantinople; Europe's largest city for most of this time). De Vries' estimates apply to the Mediterranean, Western Europe, Austria-Bohemia, and Poland, but exclude Eastern Europe and the Balkans (it is unclear whether Turkey is included with the Mediterranean or Balkans in this regard).

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