Industrial Revolution did not Boost Economic Growth and the Growth of Population even in the United Kingdom

Abstract

Abstract. Data describing economic growth and the growth of human population in the United Kingdom are analysed. Contrary to the widely accepted interpretations, Industrial Revolution had no impact on shaping trajectories of economic growth and of the growth of population. Within the range of analysable data, there was also no Malthusian stagnation. Consequently, there was no escape from Malthusian trap because there was no trap in the economic growth and in the growth of human population. The United Kingdom was the centre of the Industrial Revolution and yet its data are in the direct contradiction of the currently accepted interpretations. It is fortunate that natural processes did not comply with our fanciful and wished-for explanations of the mechanism of growth. If they did, if the generally claimed takeoffs did occur, it would have been a disaster because economic growth and the growth of population would have been already unmanageable everywhere. Keywords. United Kingdom, Economic growth, Population growth, Income per capita, Malthusian stagnation, Industrial Revolution. JEL. A10 , A12, C12, Y80.