The cultural origins of the demographic transition in France

Abstract This research shows that secularization accounts for the early fertility decline in France. Why the demographic transition began in France a century before any other country is one of the big questions of history because it challenges traditional explanations and because of data limitations. Using a novel dataset crowdsourced from online genealogies, I comprehensively document the decline and its timing. Then, I document the loss of influence of the Catholic Church and find a strong and robust association with the timing of the transition. Finally, I explore the drivers of secularization and discuss the transition’s impact on economic growth.