Population Growth. The economy during the Ming dynasty, as a whole, experienced growth, and the population of China expanded greatly. The Chinese constituted between one-quarter and one-third of the world's population during the Ming period. A census undertaken in 1393 recorded a population of at least 60,545,812. The figure more than doubled to about 150,000,000 by 1600. This increase was a result of combined factors. First, the long period of peace established by the Ming government encouraged population growth. Second, China suffered no nationwide epidemics. Third, the vast lands of China provided people with a safeguard against natural disasters, warfare, and social unrest. Internal migrations from distressed areas to more-prosperous regions mitigated largescale human suffering, thus offsetting the consequences of natural calamities and social disturbances. In addition to population growth, there was a continuous shift of people to the lower Yangzi...