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120
II. TH B SWEDISH PEOPLE.
Characteristic differences are usually found regarding the season of the year
in which marriages are celebrated in different countries. In Sweden, during the
years 1881/90, as much as 16"9 % of all marriages took place in December; 14" i % in
November, and 13’2 % in October: thus, 44’5 % in all, during the last quarter of
the year. During the first quarter, on the other hand, but 14’i % were entered
into. These differences were more pronounced in former times, and nowadays are
found more in the country than in towns.
During the last few decades the frequency of marriage has varied
considerably in the different provinces of Sweden. The map on page 116 shows
very plainly the superiority in this matter of North Sweden, where the
timber-trade offers many opportunities for work at high wages, contrasting with South
Sweden, where agriculture is the chief employment of the people.
Births.
As may be seen by Table 5, the annual number of births, which, in
the years 1751/75, amounted to 34*44 %o of the population, has since
that date almost uninterruptedly declined so that for the period
1876/1900, the figures are but about 28*51 °/oo.
But it would, of a certainty, be wrong to deduce from this that
conjugal fecundity has lessened. It appears from Table 20 that, during
the years 1751/1800, to every thousand of married women between the
ages of 15/45, there were, on a yearly average, 294 who gave birth to
legitimate children: the average for the years 1851/1900 is about 292,
or almost the same as for the first period. The decrease which really
exists in the number of births is, therefore, a consequence only of the
decrease in the frequency of marriage.
The average number for Western Europe is about 270 °/oo but,
if France be omitted, about 290 °/oo. The fecundity in Sweden is thus
fully normal. When we recollect that, in this country, marriage is
contracted at a later age than in other lands, the conclusion must
rather be drawn that fecundity in Sweden is greater than in most
other countries.
Table 20. Relative number of women bearing children.*
Average for the years Per 1 million inhab. Moth- Per 1 million inhab. [-Mothers,-] {+Moth- ers,+} °/oo. Per 1 million inhab. [-Mothers,-] {+Moth- ers,+} %o.
Women, 20/45 years. Women bearing children. °/oo. Harried women, 15/45 years. Mothers of legit, children. Unmarried women, 211/45 years. Mothers of illegitim, children.
1751/75...... 189,729 34,783 1833 113,637 33,872 298-3 77.946 911 11 7
1776,00...... 191,676 33.479 174-7 110,416 32,017 290-0 82.909 1,462 17-fi
1801/25...... 188,107 33,246 1767 108,858 30,967 284-5 80,457 2,279 28’:<
1826/50...... 179,655 32,183 1791 103,974 29,725 285-9 76,366 2,458 32 2
1851/75...... 183,176 32,346 176-6 99,1)87 29,188 294-6 84,543 3,158 374
1876 95...... 171,471 29,333 171 1 90.418 26,309 2910 81,549 3,024 37-1
1886 95...... 169,891 28,445 167-4 89,675 25,471 2840 80,692 2,974 36-9 1
* For older dates in part by approximate calculations.
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