I904-] 



The Agricultural Population. 



2/3 



important industry in the United Kingdom. The classification 

 adopted throughout the kingdom is not identical, and the modi- 

 fications which have been introduced in Great Britain in succes- 

 sive years interfere with exact comparison, but the following 

 figures represent approximately the number of persons (male 

 and female) aged 10 years and upwards, engaged in agriculture 

 in i88r, 1891 and 1901 : — 



1881. 1891. 1901. 



England and Wales ... 1,352,544 1,285,146 1,197,922 



Scotland 240,131 213,060 205,007 



Ireland 981,356 922,720 859,525 



United Kingdom ... 2,574,031 2,420,926 2,262,45, 



In addition, the majority of the general labourers in Ireland 

 may, it is stated, be assumed to be agricultural labourers, and 

 these numbered 144,000 in 1881, 119,000 in 1891, and 118,000 

 in 1901. 



The proportion borne by males engaged in agriculture to the 

 total male population of the United Kingdom aged 10 years 

 and upwards, which had been 188 per 1,000 in 188 1, fell to 162 

 per 1,000 in 1891 and further fell to 136 per 1,000 in 1901. 

 Taking England and Wales alone, the numbers were 138 per 

 1,000 in 1881, 117 per 1,000 in 1891 and 96 per 1,000 in 1901. 

 In Scotland a serious decline is also shown, the proportions at 

 the three Censuses being 144, 127, and 107 respectively. In 

 Ireland, however, where over two-fifths of the male population 

 aged 10 years and upwards are agriculturists, the proportional 

 decline was far less, the rates per 1,000 being 460 in 188 1, 457 in 

 1891, and 443 in 1901. 



Taking the United Kingdom as a whole, the loss of workers in 

 this industry, which amounts to a quarter of a million in the 

 course of twenty years, may be taken as indicating a continuous 

 agricultural depression. 



Turning to the figures for England and Wales, the returns 

 for 1 901 show that there were employed in agriculture on farms, 

 woods, and gardens, according to the classification of the 

 eleventh Census, 1,128,604 persons, all but 57,564 of whom were 

 males. In the following table, which shows the figures since 



