The concept was coined by the French economist and demographer Adolphe
Landry (1974-1956): see his first article on depopulation: "La
d?population", in Revue politique et litt?raire, Revue bleue, Paris, March
1913; his 1929 article "Le maximum et l?optimum de la population", published
in Scientia, vol. 26, Bologna, April 1929; and of course, his major book, La
r?volution d?mographique. Etudes et essais sur les probl?mes de la
population, Paris, Sirey, 1934 (reprint: Paris, INED, 1982). It was then
used in France by Alfred Sauvy: see Richesse et population, Paris, Payot,
1943; and the two volumes of his Th?orie g?n?rale de la population: vol. 1:
Economie et Population (Paris, Presses Universitaires de France, 1952), vol.
2: Biologie sociale (Paris, Presses Universitaires de France, 1954).
In the United States, Frank W. Notestein used the notion while working for
the Rockefeller Foundation. See F. W.Notestein, Problems of policy in
relation to areas of heavy population pressure, Chicago, Milbank Memorial
Fund Quarterly, 22, n? 4, July-September 1944, 1944; "Population-The Long
View", in Th.W.Schultz, Food for the World, Chicago, University of Chicago
Press, 1945, p. 36-57; or M. C. Balfour, R. F. Evans, F. W. Notestein.and I.
B. Taueberg, Public Health and Demography in the Far-East: Report of a
Survey Trip September 13- December 13, New York, Mimeo, Rockfeller
Foundation, 1948.

Annie L. Cot