arbiter
JournalsAccount

Human Capital at the Beginning of the Eighteenth-Century in Catalonia: Age-Heaping and Numeracy in a Changing Economy

Èric Gómez‐i‐Aznar

European Review of Economic History2025https://doi.org/10.1093/ereh/heaf002article
AJG 3ABDC A
Weight
0.50

Abstract

This article analyses arithmetic levels in early eighteenth-century Catalonia using 6,700 individual observations and the age-heaping methodology, which evaluates errors in age reporting. Catalonia represents an attractive case due to the lack of data on human capital during this crucial period of transition from a pre-industrial to an industrial society. The results reveal high levels of numerical competence, particularly in urban areas and among the middle classes, comparable to those of Western Europe. This suggests the potential for industrialization based on high numeracy despite low literacy.

Open via your library →

Cite this paper

https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1093/ereh/heaf002

Or copy a formatted citation

@article{èric2025,
  title        = {{Human Capital at the Beginning of the Eighteenth-Century in Catalonia: Age-Heaping and Numeracy in a Changing Economy}},
  author       = {Èric Gómez‐i‐Aznar},
  journal      = {European Review of Economic History},
  year         = {2025},
  doi          = {https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1093/ereh/heaf002},
}

Paste directly into BibTeX, Zotero, or your reference manager.

Flag this paper

Human Capital at the Beginning of the Eighteenth-Century in Catalonia: Age-Heaping and Numeracy in a Changing Economy

Flags are reviewed by the Arbiter methodology team within 5 business days.

Evidence weight

0.50

Balanced mode · F 0.40 / M 0.15 / V 0.05 / R 0.40

F · citation impact0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20
M · momentum0.50 × 0.15 = 0.07
V · venue signal0.50 × 0.05 = 0.03
R · text relevance †0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20

† Text relevance is estimated at 0.50 on the detail page — for your query’s actual relevance score, open this paper from a search result.