150 THE TREND OF THE RACE 
remarriages among people of relatively advanced ages. The 
increase of divorce, although very widespread, has been much 
more rapid in some countries than in others, and in countries such 
as the United States, where divorces are rapidly becoming more 
frequent, the average age of marriage would tend thereby to 
become considerably higher. Some countries have a separate 
tabulation of first marriages. The ages of such marriages in 
England and Wales have shown a slight increase since 1866, but 
they have decreased in France (since 1851) and in Bavaria. For 
most countries there are no separate tabulations available. 
Age of marriage doubtless affects the differential birth rate 
since the different classes marry on the average at different 
periods of life. There is in most countries a tendency for members 
of the educated and professional classes to marry late. According 
to Rubin and Westergaard the average difference in the ages at 
marriage of official and working classes at Copenhagen for 1878- 
1882 was over 5 years. Of the former only 6.4 per cent were 
married before 25, while 35.1 per cent of the latter were married 
at that age. Similar differences were found by V. Fircks. Von 
Mayr gives the ages at marriage for several classes in Prussia for 
1881-86 as follows: 
Age of Marriage According to Occupation 
Average age 
Otiicial.Class.:: dawiet yop seaena ad dees 33-41 
Medical profession...................2.202. 31.76 
Artists and writers..................0.0005, 30.62 
Army, navy, police......................0. 29.30 
Day laborers sy os 92 epee tae eee 29.40 
Metal workers... 0.0.0... ..0..c0ccceeeue eee 28.04 
Factory employees (male)................... 27.67 
7 - (female).............000. 24.62 
That the more educated and skilled among the laborers marry 
later than their less skilled coworkers is indicated from several 
sources. Rowntree (A Study of Town Life, ’o2) gives the following 
ages of marriage for skilled and unskilled workers of York: 
