The components of population change in nineteenth-century South-east Asia: Village data from the Philippines

This paper contains an analysis of local population change in a colonial agricultural population in South-east Asia during the nineteenth century. Much of the region was still characterized by relatively low population densities during the last century, but household and family organization generally supported rapid population growth. The Philippine village community portrayed here exemplifies these aspects of South-east Asian demography in the nineteenth century. The analysis imbased ooparish records spanning the nineteenth century, including annual census listings as well as registries of vital events. Birth rates were high and death rates were moderate throughout most of the period under study. Population growth exceeded 1.5 per cent year. Mortality increased, and periods of demographic crisis occurred more frequently as the century progressed. Compared with other South-east Asian populations, marriage was late and proportions unmarried high. Marital fertility was quite high and uncontrolled. These basic demographic facts are established by both direct and indirect estimation and quite consistent results are obtained.