the good old bad days

Medieval England actually possessed an average income that would be more than double the average per capita income of the world's poorest nations today, according to new research. Living standards in the middle ages in England were far above the 'bare bones subsistence' experience of people in many of today's poor countries

Research led by economists at the University of Warwick shows that the average income per head was £638 - double the average income of today's poorest nations such as Democratic Republic of Congo (with an income of £159) and Burundi in Africa (£306). Even on the eve of the Black Death, which first struck in 1348/49, the team found per capita incomes in England of more than £510.

The majority of the British population in medieval times could afford to consume what we call a "respectability basket" of consumer goods that allowed for occasional luxuries. This would mean people would be in a position to afford a varied diet, rather than one based largely on grains and oatmeal.