Some dimensions of the 'quality of life' during the British industrial revolution

The paper sets out estimates for various aspects of well-being during British industrialisation. Judgements about changes in living standards are shown to be sensitive to weighting procedures. It is argued that recent participants in the famous standards of living controversy have assigned undue importance to trends in heights and that concern for quality of life rather than real wages need not imply a pessimistic view of changes in aggregate well-being during the industrial revolution. Urban mortality experience is shown to be the least satisfactory aspect of well-being and it is suggested that this reflects difficulties of financing local public goods.