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122 II. TH B SWEDISH PEOPLE.
Table 21. Relative number, by age, of women bearing children.
Average for the years Women bearing children, per 1,000 women, within each age.1 i Women bearing legitimate children per 1,000 married women, j within each age.*
15/20. 20/25. 25/80. 80/85. 35/40. 40/45. 45/50. 20/25. 25/80. 30/85. 35/40. 40/45. 45/60.
1751/75..........23 122 220 238 191 100 24 474 388 332 238 123 31 |
1776/00..........21 116 207 226 182 95 23 467 381 325 232 121 30
1801/25..........16 119 214 229 185 98 20 457 377 312 232 124 27
1826/50..........10 109 217 242 198 107 18 454 373 314 242 134 24
1851/75..........8 101 204 233 203 118 19 466 380 326 260 152 25
1876/95.... 11 107 201 221 192 110 17 454 376 320 255 145 23
1886/95..........11 108 196 214 185 105 15 451 369 312 248 139 21
Table 21 gives an historical view of the number of births, and
of fecundity, at different ages — a table which is unique in its way.
The most remarkable feature in this table is the important increase of matrimonial
fecundity shown by the ages 35/45, during the period 1826/1875. The
circumstance clearly depends upon the retardation of marriage which went on during a
great part of that time. The same table also shows very clearly that fecundity has
not lessened to any great degree, especially omitting the abnormal period 1751/75.
We here find place for some of the chief facts concerning births, out of those
with which we are so richly supplied by the Swedish statistics of population.
The living-born children in the years 1751/75 were divided according to
sex in the proportion of a thousand girls to 1,044 boys. At present (1876/95) the
numbers are a thousand girls to 1,054 boys — figures which are about the same as
those for Europe in general. During the same period, the relative number
of boys amongst the total number of births (thus including those still-born) has
risen from 1,051 to 1,061.
Of the total number of births during 1751/55 there were, on the average,
25 °/oo still-born. Omitting the years 1801/20, this frequency was gradually
increased until the years 1861/65 when they reached 33 °/oo; since then, a
considerable diminution has taken place. At present, the number of still-born
children amounts to 26 °/oo — a low proportion when compared with that of
most of the other European countries.
Several children at a birth occur in Sweden more frequently than in
any other country of Europe, excepting Finland. During the period 1750/1815
the frequency of such births rose very considerably : from 1,014-7 children
born of every thousand of mothers, to about 1,018 births. After that date
the frequency fell again. During the last fifty years, the number has been nearly
constant, or about 1,014’ß children to every thousand of mothers. During the
years 1871/90, the proportion, taken for legitimate and illegitimate children
separately, was 1,014-64 and 1,014-89 to one thousand mothers.
Regarding births according to the seasons, we find the greatest proportion born in
September and March (6 to 7 % higher than the average for the year) and the
lowest in July and August (7 % beneath the average). The percentage of
illegitimate births of the total number, is greatest during the period January
—July. The frequency of still-born children is always greater during the cold
season of the year than during the warm.
1 For 1751/75 by approximate calculations. — * Before 1870, partly by approximation.
For the ages 20/30 these approximations are only tentative, but probably measurably correct.
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