Changes

===China===

===China===

Lavely and Wong challenge the Malthusian contention that there were striking differences in mortality rates and life expectancy between late imperial China and preindustrial Europe during the 18th and early 19th centuries because of China's scant resources and its lack of checks on reproduction. Data on China's early-19th-century demographics illustrate, however, that living standards were comparable to those of agrarian Europe and that major fluctuations in mortality rates in China were usually the result of social crises and civil wars, such as the White Lotus Rebellion (1793-1805). Evidence of widespread female infanticide in late imperial China also belies the Malthusian proposition that Chinese fertility was particularly unrestrained relative to Europe. Lack of sufficient and accurate population data from late imperial China has resulted in a widespread, erroneous acceptance of Malthusian demographics to explain the economic divergence between China and Europe after 1850.<ref>William Lavely, and R. Bin Wong, "Revising The Malthusian Narrative: The Comparative Study Of Population Dynamics In Late Imperial China." ''Journal Of Asian Studies'' 1998 57(3): 714-743. Issn: 0021-9118 Fulltext: in Jstor</ref>

Lavely and Wong challenge the Malthusian contention that there were striking differences in mortality rates and life expectancy between late imperial China and preindustrial Europe during the 18th and early 19th centuries because of China's scant resources and its lack of checks on reproduction. Data on China's early-19th century demographics illustrate, however, that living standards were comparable to those of agrarian Europe and that major fluctuations in mortality rates in China were usually the result of social crises and civil wars, such as the White Lotus Rebellion (1793-1805). Evidence of widespread female infanticide in late imperial China also belies the Malthusian proposition that Chinese fertility was particularly unrestrained relative to Europe. Lack of sufficient and accurate population data from late imperial China has resulted in a widespread, erroneous acceptance of Malthusian demographics to explain the economic divergence between China and Europe after 1850.<ref>William Lavely, and R. Bin Wong, "Revising The Malthusian Narrative: The Comparative Study Of Population Dynamics In Late Imperial China." ''Journal Of Asian Studies'' 1998 57(3): 714-743. Issn: 0021-9118 Fulltext: in Jstor</ref>

China has seen A spectacular improvement in life expectancy, from about 60 years in the period 1964-82 to nearly 70 years in the period 1990-2000, with a further improvement to over 71 years by 2000.<ref>Judith Banister,  and Kenneth Hill, "Mortality In China 1964-2000." ''Population Studies'' 2004 58(1): 55-75. Issn: 0032-4728</ref>

China has seen A spectacular improvement in life expectancy, from about 60 years in the period 1964-82 to nearly 70 years in the period 1990-2000, with a further improvement to over 71 years by 2000.<ref>Judith Banister,  and Kenneth Hill, "Mortality In China 1964-2000." ''Population Studies'' 2004 58(1): 55-75. Issn: 0032-4728</ref>