Swedish population thought in the eighteenth century

Abstract

Abstract This paper describes the significance attributed to population size during the period in which Sweden, in advance of other modern nations, began the collection of national population data. In mercantilist fashion the Swedish political and economic writers generally took for granted that a large and growing population was desirable; but particular attention is given to the reasons occasionally advanced for favouring population growth and to tentative analyses of the influence of population size. Although the relation of manpower to defensive strength was mentioned, it was the economic aspects of population that were emphasized at the time. Because of Swedish conditions and some optimistic assumptions, people were regarded more as producers than consumers; and a number of explanations were given of how a larger population would add to national production and productivity of the workers. According to a rudimentary supply and demand theory a change of population or labour force might affect wages from the supply side; but distribution theory as a whole was little developed. Only traces of pre-Malthusian pessimism have been found in the Swedish writings of this period; and several background factors that may have affected Swedish population thought are noted.