i2 THE FALL OF THE BIRTH-RATE 



(34 per cent.). If we want to find countries where at 

 all a conspicuous increase has been recorded in the 

 course of the two or three decades preceding 1901-10 

 we must turn to Japan or Ceylon. In the case of some 

 registration areas in the U.S.A. there is approximate 

 steadiness or slight increase, as also in the case of 

 some of the states of South America, but immigration 

 of more fertile stocks is probably in great part respon- 

 sible in these cases. Enquiry would also be necessary 

 whether improvement in registration had not had an 

 appreciable effect. England, has, then, only shared 

 in a movement in which nearly all European stocks 

 seem to have taken part. It may be added that a chart 

 of the annual values suggests a turning point in most 

 countries about 1876. 



TABLE III. ENGLAND AND WALES. 



Changes in the proportions, etc., of married 

 women to the population. 



Year 

 1851 

 1861 

 1871 

 1881 

 1891 

 1901 

 1911 



Returning now to the question how far the decrease 

 is due to a fall in the fertility of married couples, and 

 how far it may be ascribed to a decrease in the pro- 

 portion of married couples to the population, or of 

 course to an increase in the average age of wives, 

 Table III gives some simple information on this head 

 for the census years since 1851. It is only for these 



