Female 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: economic growth , fertility , Longevity , gender wage gap
• JEL codes: A11, A12, I15, J11, N3

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