Fertility in Belgium declined early and remained low compared with that
in other European countries. For this reason, and because of the
nation's heterogeneity, study of its demographic transition illuminates
the relationship between fertility behavior and socioeconomic
development. Professor Lesthaeghe first describes the Belgian experience
in a way that permits direct comparison with that of other European
nations. He then tests the several explanatory hypotheses for the
European fertility decline against his data.
Belgium's heterogeneity in the nineteenth-century and in the first half
of the twentieth was economic, social, and cultural. Some areas of the
country underwent industrialization as early as 1800-1830, while others
shifted away from agriculture and artisanal modes of production only
between 1880 and 1910. Between 1890 and 1900, regional fertility levels
differed drastically, as did regional infant mortality rates and life
expectancies at birth. In addition, wide variation occurred in the
process of secularization, linguistic characteristics, demographic
trends, and other cultural indicators. By describing and analyzing these
data in relation to Belgium's fertility decline, Professor Lesthaeghe
makes a major contribution to the theory of the demographic transition
that occurred throughout Europe.
Originally published in 1978.
The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand
technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from
the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions
preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting
them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the
Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich
scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by
Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.
