Revista ADEH, XLIV, I (pp. 117-150) [2026]

This text defends the hypothesis that the specialisation in sugar pro-duction from the end of the 18th century to the middle of the 19th century led to a persistent decline in the welfare of the poorest Puerto Rican population due to the need toreduce production costs. On the other hand, educational deficiencies, housing conditions and disease, especially anaemia, were also determining factors. Only between 1860 and 1880 did the situation improve thanks to changes in the world sugar market and the social policy of the Spanish colonial go-vernment. In contrast, the annexation in 1898 by the United States did not lead to an increase in the welfare of the population in the short term. To demonstrate these assertions, use has been made of the height of prisoners born in the period, of contemporary testimonies and of the usual econometric contrasts in anthropometry.