This chapter addresses income inequality by offering new evidence based on the Ensenada Cadastre, a unique database on Castilian households circa 1750. We find that inequality in 18th-century Spain was substantial, especially in urban and/or highly populated areas. There was also a positive – but somewhat weaker – relationship not only between inequality and per capita income but also between inequality and poverty. We posit that extreme economic inequality was likely responsible for numerous episodes of social conflict. Finally, the extent of formalized charity and social spending was less than in other Western European regions.
University of Madrid Carlos III, Spain - ORCID: 0000-0002-2078-6720
University Pablo de Olavide, Spain - ORCID: 0000-0002-4677-2730
Chapter Title
Inequality in Early Modern Spain: New evidence from the Ensenada Cadastre in Castile, c. 1750
Authors
Esteban Nicolini, Fernando Ramos-Palencia
Language
English
DOI
10.36253/978-88-5518-053-5.18
Peer Reviewed
Publication Year
2020
Copyright Information
© 2020 Author(s)
Content License
Metadata License
Book Title
Disuguaglianza economica nelle società preindustriali: cause ed effetti / Economic inequality in pre-industrial societies: causes and effect
Editors
Giampiero Nigro
Peer Reviewed
Number of Pages
488
Publication Year
2020
Copyright Information
© 2020 Author(s)
Content License
Metadata License
Publisher Name
Firenze University Press
DOI
10.36253/978-88-5518-053-5
ISBN Print
978-88-5518-052-8
eISBN (pdf)
978-88-5518-053-5
eISBN (xml)
978-88-5518-054-2
Series Title
Datini Studies in Economic History
Series ISSN
2975-1241
Series E-ISSN
2975-1195