In “Famine in European History, an international overview” published by Cambridge University Press, historians Daniel Curtis, Jessica Dijkman, Thijs Lambrecht and Eric Vanhaute use population statistics from the LOKSTAT database for their analysis of living standards in the Low Countries.

The book provides an overview of famine in Europe through the centuries. Each chapter has been written by national experts on the history of famine. The chapter on the Low Countries takes a close look at the specific causes of famine in these regions. From the late 16th century onwards, the Northern Netherlands largely escaped famine thanks to Amsterdam’s central position in the European grain trade. In contrast, famine occurred more frequently in the Southern Netherlands, where it was mainly caused by war.”