In order to answer the question "What type of satire is a Modest Proposal?" we must first understand what satire is. According to Merriam-Webster, it is “the use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and discredit vice or folly.” We also need to know what type of literature Swift was writing in order to be able to answer this question. Swift was a satirist, which means he used humor and irony to criticize society in the 18th century.
A Modest Proposal is an example of a Juvenalian satire.
A Juvenalian satire is a type of satirical writing that uses extreme hyperbole to mock or criticize some aspect of human behavior, society or government. It gets its name from the Roman satirist Juvenal, who wrote many poems criticizing the corruption and decadence in Rome during his time.
It's the most famous example of a Juvenalian satire, which is named after the Roman satirist Juvenal. In a Juvenalian satire, the author presents a solution to a problem that's so outrageous that it's funny—and even more effective because of how extreme it is.