FLUCTUATIONS IN SEX AND AGE RATIOS IN THE TRANSATLANTIC SLAVE-TRADE, 1663-1864

Data from the last two centuries of the Atlantic slave trade are used to assess the factors responsible for the sex and age of Africans entering the slave trade. Such patterns do not appear very different from those observed in other long-distance migrations. In the Americas the results are consistent with a relatively undifferentiated demand for plantation labour. While there is much evidence of distinct regional characteristics on the African side, changes in trading costs were also important in explaining changes over time, at least in age patterns. A systematic relationship is indicated between the age and sex of captives and the volume of slaves shipped.