Full resolution (JPEG) - On this page / på denna sida - First part - II. The Swedish People - 2. Demography of Sweden - Mortality - Immigration and emigration
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
Below is the raw OCR text
from the above scanned image.
Do you see an error? Proofread the page now!
Här nedan syns maskintolkade texten från faksimilbilden ovan.
Ser du något fel? Korrekturläs sidan nu!
This page has never been proofread. / Denna sida har aldrig korrekturlästs.
128
II. TH B SWEDISH PEOPLE.
teraber 13*41, October 15’04, November 16 82, and December 18’5S. The
average for the year was 16’94. Thus January reached almost 18 % over the yearly
average, but September, on the contrary, fell 11 % below. In former days, spring
was the most dangerous time, now it is rather winter. — The influence of the
season on mortality is considerably less in the north of Sweden, than in the
south — just contrary to what we would expect. Between the rural districts
and the cities, the difference is greatest during the summermonths, especially
for the masculine sex. In the highest ages, the death-rate is greatest during
winter; in the middle ages, during spring. For the earliest years, winter is
generally the most disastrous, but at times also midsummer; more especially
was this the case formerly and in towns.
The mortality in the different läns of Sweden, for the decade 1881/90,
may be seen by the map on page 127. In the läns about Lakes Vettern
and Venern, the mortality now amounts to only about 14 to 15 °/oo, — a
figure which is really a most extraordinarily favourable one. In former times,
mortality was lowest in the lftn of Jemtland (for 1841/50, but 12’9 5 °/oo —
probably a world-record) but of låte years the mortality there has increased as a
result of the development of the timber-trade and the consequent great
immigration. The mortality in the city of Stockholm was formerly very great, but
nowadays the figures are, on the contrary, very favourable. During the period
1896/1900, the mortality in Stockholm amounted to but 18’2 °/o°, or less than in
most of the other European capitals.
Immigration and emigration.
The modern emigration movement can be said to date — as a whole
— from the decade beginning 1840. In Sweden, however, it began
somewhat later, the Swedish emigration-periods proper being between
the years 1868/73 and between 1879/93. At present, emigration from
this country is again at a low tide.
It has already been shown, in the chapter dealing with the frequency
of marriage, how the great stream of Swedish emigration during the
periods named above (the relative greatness of which was only
surpassed by that of Norway and Ireland) can be in the main explained
by the unfavourable conditions under which the transition to the
modern system of industrial life took place in our land. The great
decline of emigration, of låte years, must be considered as evidence
that the difficulties of this unfavourable transition-period are now
in way to be surmounted.
That emigration assumed the great proportions it did at one time,
is also to be ascribed to that inborn love of roaming and adventure
which our people share with the other Germanic races — a spirit which
is unusually developed amongst us. And a Swedish population of one
million souls having established itself in America, naturally exercises
such a great power of attraction, on account of kin-ship and other ties,
that we can hardly suppose that emigration will ever quite cease.
A general survey of the movement of population in Sweden during
the period 1851/95, with a special view to the illustration of emigration
and immigration, is given in Table 25.
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
