Historical demography

Historical demography studies past populations and their change through births, deaths, migration, and marriage, using records and other evidence to reconstruct population size, structure, and distribution.

Population: A group of people defined by shared location, membership, or another boundary. Historical demography reconstructs how such groups changed in size and composition.
Family reconstitution: A method that links parish registers to reconstruct families and their life events over time. It converts scattered baptism, marriage, and burial entries into demographic histories.
English parish registers: Registers of baptisms, marriages, and burials kept by English parishes, especially from the sixteenth century onward. They became a major source for reconstructing English population trends before civil registration.
Demographic transition: The shift from high birth and death rates to low birth and death rates as societies change. Historical series show how this transition unfolded unevenly across countries and regions.
Population history: The study of population size, composition, and change across historical periods. It overlaps with historical demography but often emphasizes broad population trajectories.
Census: A systematic count and description of a population at a specified time. Censuses provide snapshots against which population change can be measured.
Life table: A table summarizing the survival and mortality experience of a population by age. It translates death records into estimates of life expectancy and survival.
Histoire de la population française: A landmark multivolume study of French population history directed by Jean-Pierre Bardet and Jacques Dupâquier. It shows how regional records can be assembled into a national demographic history.
Historical epidemiology: The study of disease patterns and health in past populations. Mortality records connect population change to epidemics and changing disease environments.
Historical population estimates: Quantitative estimates of population size in periods before reliable modern censuses. Early totals remain uncertain because sources vary in coverage and purpose.

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