THE CAUSES OF THE DECLINING BIRTH RATE 157 



Number of Children per Married Women of 15-45 Years in 

 Rhode Island 



Native white, native parentage .... 2.4 



" foreign parentage. ... 3.9 



Foreign born 4.6 



Canadian English, ist generation . . 3.7 



" 2d .. 3 .3 



Canadian French, ist generation. . . 5.8 



2 d " ... 4.8 



English, ist generation 3.7 



2d " 2.5 



German ist generation 3.8 



2d " 2.7 



Irish, ist " 4.8 



2d " 4-3 



Italian 5.0 



Scotch, ist " 3.8 



2 d " 2.3 



Swedes, ist 3.9 



2 d " ? 



Other foreigners, ist generation. ... 4.2 



n j 



2d 3.3 



Native negro 3.3 



In Cities 

 over 10,000 



In Remainder 

 of State 



2.7 

 4.6 

 4.8 



4-5 

 3-6 

 6.0 



5-i 

 3-9 

 2.8 



4-4 

 3-4 

 4.6 



4-5 

 ? 



4-4 

 ? 



3-7 



With the exception of the Irish with their higher urban birth 

 rate and the Italians with the same birth rate in city and country, 

 all classes, the foreign born as well as of the native population, 

 have more children per married woman of child-bearing age in the 

 country than in the city. Also the percentage of childless mar- 

 riages is greater in the cities for both native (19.4 urban, 13, 

 rural) and foreign born (8.4 urban, 6.5 rural). 



The study of Cleveland in relation to 48 predominantly rural 

 counties of Ohio showed similar relations to those found in Rhode 



