Poverty and Spatial Location along Industrialisation, Barcelona, 1787-1860

Anna Cabré, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Joana-Maria Pujadas-Mora, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Miquel Valls Fígols, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Albert Garcia Soler, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona

Our contribution is based on the data collected by the Barcelona Historical Marriage Database, recently started at the CED-UAB, gathering socio-economic information on 600.000 marriages in the Grand Barcelona (1451-1906). It focuses on poverty and location trends in the inner city and carries comparisons with surrounding areas (1787-1860). Main findings: 1. Poverty increased. 2. Poverty concentrated in industrial districts. 3. Poverty increases related strongly to population growth and migration. 4. In 1787, Barcelona doubled in poverty the rest of the area, mainly rural. In 1860, the ranking was clearly reversed. 5. Four large parishes outside Barcelona, (Sabadell, Mataró, Badalona and Terrassa), all of them industrial, had poverty levels similar to poverty in industrial urban sections, but higher increases. 6. In rural parishes, both poverty and its increase were the highest. 7. So, in spite of unfavourable living conditions, Barcelona’s population was privileged in comparison with industrial and agrarian surrounding communities.