The Demographic Transition:Causes and Consequences

This paper develops the theoretical foundations and the testable implications of the variousmechanisms that have been proposed as possible triggers for the demographic transition.Moreover, it examines the empirical validity of each of the theories and their significance forthe understanding of the transition from stagnation to growth. The analysis suggests that therise in the demand for human capital in the process of development was the main trigger forthe decline in fertility and the transition to modern growth....