Which plague caused the death of up to one third of Europe's population and contributed to economic decline and reduced food production?

• A. Great Plague
• B. Spanish Flu
• C. Black Death
• D. Smallpox Epidemic

Answer: (C)

Massive population loss from a pandemic and its ripple effects on economy and farming are at play here. The plague that fits is the Black Death, which swept through Europe in the mid-14th century, roughly 1347–1351, and killed about one-third of the population. It spread rapidly via fleas on rats and by infected people, striking both towns and countryside. With so many people dying, there were far fewer workers to till fields and harvest crops, which led to a drop in food production and a broader economic decline. This staggering loss of life also reshaped labor relations, land use, and social structures across Europe. Other listed outbreaks occurred in different times or contexts and do not match the scale of mortality and economic disruption described.