Hajnal line

proper noun

An imaginary line drawn between Saint Petersburg in Russia and Trieste in Italy, sometimes thought to divide Europe into two areas characterized by different levels of nuptiality, with lower marriage and fertility rates to the west, and higher rates to the east.

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Meanings

proper nounthe Hajnal line
  1. An imaginary line drawn between Saint Petersburg in Russia and Trieste in Italy, sometimes thought to divide Europe into two areas characterized by different levels of nuptiality, with lower marriage and fertility rates to the west, and higher rates to the east.

Origin

Proposed in 1965 by John Hajnal.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

Hajnal line. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Hajnal%20line

MLA

“Hajnal line.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Hajnal%20line. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Hajnal line,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Hajnal%20line.

Source: Hajnal line on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.