36 THE FALL OF THE BIRTH-RATE 



as well as by the birth-rate. In Table X I have given 

 a few series of figures showing the legitimate births 

 per thousand married women between the ages of 

 15 and 50. Sweden affords the only long series. 

 Here we see that the decennial averages fell from 251 

 in the decade round 1760 to 232 in the twenty years 

 round 1805. The figure rose again to 253 in 1816-25, 

 only to fall once more to 235 in 1836-45. It then 

 fluctuated up and down through the next few de- 

 cennia and in 1886-95 was only just below the value 

 noted for 1796-1815. The fluctuations, prior to the 

 decennium ending in 1905, were only of the order of 

 8 or 10 per cent. but the rate cannot be said to have 

 been constant. 



TABLE X. 



Legitimate births per 1000 married women aged 

 15 to 50. 



Sweden France Belgium 



1756-1765 251 



1766-1775 240 



1776-1785 242 



1786-1795 245 



1796-1805 232 



1806-1815 232 



1816-1825 253 



1826-1835 240 



1836-1845 235 



1846-1855 241 179 252 



1856-1865 248 172 276 



1866-1875 235 172 270 



1876-1885 240 167 264 



1886-1895 231 150 236 



1896-1905 219 134 213 



The averages for France cannot be carried back 

 beyond 1846. The excess of the average for 1846-55 

 over that for 1856-65 is not great (about 4 per cent.) 

 but so far as it goes confirms the suggestion of the 

 birth-rate that the fall in fertility began long before 



1875- 



