The Black Death 1346-1353: The Complete History

In the early 20th century, demographers and economic histories discovered that population in the Late Middle Ages dropped significantly. Primary sources that describe the Black Death frequently refer to mass death, which indeed occurred, although these sources often provide inaccurate numbers. This section of the text synthesizes and adds to previous demographic work on the Black Death. Knowledge of population changes is historically significant “because it affected social and economic structures and existential and cultural outlook of people in profound way” (245).

Demographers can determine life expectancy rates for medieval Europe before and after the Black Death using various forms of evidence, including skeletal remains, surviving primary source records, and model life tables. Although data is limited, it is consistent across these sources. During periods of prosperity, life expectancy for medieval people may have been around 26 or 27 years. However, during times of turmoil, such as the Black Death, this rate was lower. Evidence shows that “life expectancy at age 20 for the generation born between 1276 and 1300 was 25.19 years” (252). To compensate for this post-pandemic low rate, medieval people married earlier than their early modern European counterparts, so that women gave birth to more children.