Farmers at the heart of the ‘human capital revolution’? Decomposing the numeracy increase in early modern Europe†
通过分析欧洲和拉丁美洲六国的计算能力与识字率证据，发现农民群体在近代早期贡献了显著的人力资本，约占人口三分之一，挑战了技能发展主要集中于城市精英的传统观点。
Did the early development of skills and numerical abilities occur primarily in urban centres and among the elite groups of society? This study assesses the human capital of different occupational groups in the early modern period and partially confirms this finding: skilled and professional groups had higher levels of numeracy and literacy than persons in unskilled occupations. However, there was another large group that developed substantial human capital and represented around one‐third of the total population: farmers. By analysing numeracy and literacy evidence from six countries in Europe and Latin America, we argue that farmers contributed significantly to the formation of human capital and, consequently, to modern economic growth.