Full resolution (JPEG) - On this page / på denna sida - II. The Swedish People - 2. Demography. By [G. Sundbärg] E. Arosenius
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births. * 135
Table 24. Relative Number, by Age, of Women bearing Children.
Annually Women bearing children, per 1 000 women, within each age-group1 Women bearing legitimate children per 1 000 married women, within each age-group2
15—20 20—25 25—30 30—35 35-40 40—45 45— 50 20-25 25—30 30—35 35—40 40—45 45—50
1751-75 . . 23 122 220 238 191 100 24 474 388 332 238 123 31
1770—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 IS 454 373 314 242 134 24
1851—75 . . 8 101 204 233 203 118 19 466 380 326 260 152 25
1876—00. . 12 109 199 217 188 108 16 457 374 315 251 142 21
1910 .... 19 121 178 174 145 74 9 434 325 255 198 100 13
age-limits, fecundity did not decline to any great extent during the
greater part of the 19th century. In recent times conditions have changed. If,
as a criterion of matrimonial fecundity, the ratio be considered between
the number of mothers of legitimate children on the one hand, and on the
other that of married women up to 45 years of age, we find from Table 23
that the ratio under consideration scarcely altered at during the six
quarter-centuries between 1750—1900, and that, in the seventies, it was even
as high as 300-9. But since then it has shown a decided tendency to fall.
For the four last five-year periods in the 19th century the ratios are 294-5,
289-3, 278-8 and 273-4 respectively, and the years of the 20th century
already elapsed show a downward movement almost uninterruptedly,
commencing with 272-0 (in 1901) and ending with 236-2 (in 1911).
Corresponding figures have not been ascertained for the last two years, but,
judging from preliminary returns for the number of living births, there is
reason to suppose that fecundity will prove to be still lower then than in
1911. The decline is now encountered (as appears from Table 24), among
all age-groups of married women.
The above phenomenon is by no means a peculiarity to Sweden, but
has been observable of låte years in nearly all countries with European
populations. However, the birth rate in Sweden is, at present, remarkably
low, even in comparison with other lands, a fact which is partly due to the
protracted paucity of fresh marriages. So far as matrimonial fecundity
is concerned (expressed by the number of legitimate births per thousand
of married women of the ages 15—45), it was even in the ’nineties 276-1
in Sweden. 262-7 in Western Europe, and 285-3 in North-Western Europe
taken separately.
We may here insert some of the chief facts concerning births, culled from
the detailed information with which we are so amply supplied by the Swedish
vital statistics.
The living births in the years 1751—75 were distributed according to sex in
the proportion of a thousand girls to 1 044 boys. At present (1901—10) the
1 For the years 1751—75 based on approximate calculations. —
by approximation.
2 Before 1870 partly
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