THE DECLINING BIRTH RATE i2i 



tury, the population of most civilized countries has considerably, 

 and in some cases very greatly increased. The population of 

 England and Wales between 1801 and 191 1 has more than quad- 

 rupled; that of Scotland has nearly trebled. In the 60 years 

 between 1851 and 191 1 the population in Russia has increased 

 from 55,818,000 to 105,651,000; in Austria from 17,525,000, to 

 28,568,000; in Hungary from 13,192,000, to 20,851,000 and in 

 Prussia from 16,935,000 to 40,163,000. Of all countries on the 

 continent of Europe, France has shown the slowest rate of in- 

 crease, and in late years the population has been nearly station- 

 ary. Ireland since 185 1 has suffered an actual decrease of popu- 

 lation owing largely to the low birth rate and the extensive 

 migration of her people to America. 



The rapid increase in the population of the United States is 

 due to the circumstances that produce a rapid increase in most 

 new countries which have been opened up to settlement by the 

 white race. The early settlers, being generally of a hardy and 

 prolific stock, living for the most part under wholesome condi- 

 tions, increased at an unusually rapid rate. Their numbers being 

 continually augmented by a rapidly increasing flow of immigrants 

 produced in a few centuries one of the most populous nations of 

 the earth. In Australia and New Zealand, in which we meet with 

 conditions more or less similar to those found in the United States, 

 there has been a similar rapid increase of population, but owing 

 to a more discriminating control of immigration the stock has 

 remained of a more homogeneous character. 



The two chief factors in the increase of population in most 

 civilized countries are (i) the great industrial development 

 whereby countries are able to support a much larger number of 

 people than formerly, and (2) the gradual reduction in the rate 

 of mortality which has been effected through advances in medi- 

 cal science, and especially hygiene. Aside from gains or losses 

 through migration, the changes that occur in the number of 

 inhabitants of any country depend upon the relative proportion 

 of births and deaths. Notwithstanding the decline in the birth 

 rate, the natural increase of several countries is higher than it was 



