The Sustainable Debts of Philip II: A Reconstruction of Castile’s Fiscal Position, 1566-1596

Journal of Economic History 70(4), 2010

38 Pages Posted: 30 Sep 2010 Last revised: 10 Oct 2012

See all articles by Mauricio Drelichman

Mauricio Drelichman

University of British Columbia (UBC) - Department of Economics; Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR)

Hans-Joachim Voth

University of Zurich - UBS International Center of Economics in Society; Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR)

Date Written: September 29, 2010

Abstract

The defaults of Philip II have attained mythical status as the origin of sovereign debt crises. We reassess the fiscal position of Habsburg Castile, deriving comprehensive estimates of revenue, debt, and expenditure from new archival data. The king’s debts were sustainable. Primary surpluses were large and rising. Debt/revenue ratios were broadly unchanged across Philip’s reign. Castilian finances in the sixteenth century compare favorably with those of other early modern fiscal states at the height of their imperial ambitions, including Britain. The defaults of Philip II therefore reflected short-term liquidity crises, and were not a sign of unsustainable debts.

Suggested Citation

Drelichman, Mauricio and Voth, Hans-Joachim, The Sustainable Debts of Philip II: A Reconstruction of Castile’s Fiscal Position, 1566-1596 (September 29, 2010). Journal of Economic History 70(4), 2010, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1684669

Mauricio Drelichman (Contact Author)

University of British Columbia (UBC) - Department of Economics ( email )

997-1873 East Mall
Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z1
Canada

Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR) ( email )

180 Dundas Street West, Suite 1400
Toronto, Ontario
Canada

Hans-Joachim Voth

University of Zurich - UBS International Center of Economics in Society ( email )

Raemistrasse 71
Zuerich, 8006
Switzerland

Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR)

London
United Kingdom

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