The 14th century saw massive population declines in Europe due to plague outbreaks, most notably the Black Death in 1348 which killed over a third of Britain's population, reducing it from 4 million to just over 2 million by century's end. Economic and social changes followed the plagues, including a rise in wages as the labor force shrank, the end of serfdom as peasants could demand higher pay, and the emergence of a new yeoman class of small landowners and farmers. Wool and cloth exports from England increased significantly over the 14th century as the country adapted to the economic impacts of the plagues.