Female’s Education, Wage Gap, Demographic Transition and Economic Growth: Methodological Notes from the Catalan Case (1900-2020)

• Authors: Enriqueta Camps.
• BSE Working Paper: 1498 | July 25
• Keywords: Gender Gap , economic growth , fertility , Longevity
• JEL codes: A11, A12, I15, J11, N3

In this paper we account for the early demographic transition of Catalonia and impact on population ageing and productivity levels. Female vocational training and female real wage increase during the first third of the 20th century, high female participation levels in the workforce and the influence of libertarian practices of fertility control seem to be the main reasons of low fertility levels (below replacement) during the first third of the 20th century. The sustained low fertility trend has resulted in a high dependency ratio during the first decades of the 21st century caused in turn by longevity The high proportion of dependents on population has as a result the small adequacy of GDP per capita to measure the evolution of productivity levels during the 21st century.