THE DEMOGRAPHIC SITUATION IN WESTERN EUROPE DURING THE HIGH MIDDLE AGES

Abstract

The article examines the demographic situation in Western Europe during the High Middle Ages. The topic is relevant, because for a comprehensive and thorough analysis of the socio-political, socio-economic and cultural development of the countries of Western Europe in the Middle Ages, it is necessary to be aware of the dynamics of the population in the studied period. Population changes during this historical epoch not only affected the political or cultural development of a country, but also led to changes in family structure, marriage and patterns of social interaction. According to many researchers (historians, extras, demographers, economists, etc.), there are significant differences in determining the dynamics of the European population in the Middle Ages, in particular due to lack or objectivity of sources. The population of medieval Europe was influenced by many factors that both contributed to and limited its growth. Demographic processes in Western Europe have gone through a series of ups and downs. The factors of mortality were too strong - the famous «triad of disasters»: disease, war and famine. However, the improvement of agriculture, trade, crafts, migration, and urbanization have become important factors in demographic change. The birth rate remained high, and infant mortality decreased slightly. All this contributed to the growth of the population, which increased especially in Europe in the X – XIII centuries, where at that time there was a real demographic boom. But both in Europe and in other regions of the world, periods of demographic growth were replaced by declines, population declines caused by both natural and socio-political factors.