<P> The consequences of the Black Death are the short - term and long - term effects of the Black Death on human populations across the world . They include a series of various biological, social, economic, political and religious upheavals which had profound effects on the course of world history, especially European history . Often referred to as simply "The Plague", the Black Death was one of the most devastating pandemics in human history, peaking in Eurasia between 1331 and 1350 with an estimated one - third of the continent's population ultimately succumbing to the disease . Historians estimate that it reduced the total world population from 450 million to between 350 and 375 million . In most parts of Europe, it took nearly 80 years for population sizes to recover, and in some areas more than 150 years . </P> <P> From the perspective of many of the survivors, however, the effect of the plague may have been ultimately favorable, as the massive reduction of the workforce meant their labor was suddenly in higher demand . R.H. Hilton has argued that those English peasants who survived found their situation to be much improved . For many Europeans, the 15th century was a golden age of prosperity and new opportunities . The land was plentiful, wages high, and serfdom had all but disappeared . A century later, as population growth resumed, the lower classes again faced deprivation and famine . </P> <P> Figures for the death toll vary widely by area and from source to source, and estimates are frequently revised as historical research brings new discoveries to light . Most scholars estimate that the Black Death killed between 75 and 200 million people in the 14th century, at a time when the entire world population was still less than 500 million . Even where the historical record is considered reliable, only rough estimates of the total number of deaths from the plague are possible . </P>

What were the political effects of the plague