This is a comprehensive long-run history of economic and political change in the Iberian Peninsula. Beginning with the development of the old medieval kingdoms, it goes on to explore two countries, Portugal and Spain, which during the early modern period possessed vast empires and played an essential role in the global economic and political developments. It traces how and why both countries began to fall behind during the first stages of industrialization and modern economic growth only to achieve remarkable economic development during the second half of the twentieth century. Written by a team of leading historians, the book sheds new light on all aspects of economic history from population, agriculture, manufacturing and international trade to government, finance and welfare. The book includes extensive new data and will be an essential work of reference for scholars of Portugal and Spain and also of comparative European economic development.

‘Pedro Lains's concern for the economic history of Iberia goes back almost forty years, to the first conference comparing Italy, Portugal, and Spain held in Seville in 1984. He dedicated his academic life to expand and deepen the comparison. This volume, a landmark in comparative history to which leading scholars in the field contributed, is the culmination of that intellectual project.'

Leandro Prados de la Escosura - Universidad Carlos III

‘This ambitious project to provide an up to date economic history of the lands of the Iberian peninsula and of their overseas settlements and colonies from the Middle Ages to the present is a remarkable achievement. Leading specialists analyze and revise our understanding of Spain and Portugal in relation to the rest of Europe and as a springboard for a global economy—an indispensable starting point for the next generation of historians.'

Stuart Schwartz - Yale University

‘This massive volume of Iberian economic history draws together for the first time a vast array of the latest research by the most significant scholars. A rich tapestry of national perspectives, from the early middle ages to current times, is enriched by thematic cross-country analyses and tempered by broader European perspectives.’

Jaime Reis - Universidade de Lisboa