Table I. (p. 513 supra), taken from Haushofer’s work (Lehr- u. Handbuch, p. 90, note 1), will show how greatly the estimates of the world’s population have varied since people first began to make them. We venture to say that any person of fair intelligence and ordinary education would, even without any statistical training, come to the conclusion that there was nothing certain to be known on the subject which these figures profess to illustrate. The fact that Behm and Wagner’s latest estimate is less than that published by them two years previously shows how difficult the subject is. We should add that the reasons given by them for this discrepancy, for even a tyro would have expected a slight increase, are quite satisfactory, and add to our confidence in that part of the investigation for which they profess to give figures approximating to accuracy.
According to Behm and Wagner (Die Bevölkerung der Erde, vii.) the following (Table II.) may be taken as the population of the sections of the world indicated in June 1882:[1]—
Area in Square Kilometres. |
Inhabitants. | |||
Number. | Per Sq. Kilo. | Per Sq. Mile. | ||
Europe | 9,730,576 | 327,743,400 | 34·0 | 88·0 |
Asia | 44,580,850 | 795,591,000 | 18·0 | 46·6 |
Africa | 29,823,253 | 205,823,200 | 7·0 | 18·1 |
America | 38,473,138 | 100,415,400 | 2·6 | 6·7 |
Australasia | ... | ... | ... | ... |
Polynesia | 8,952,855 | 4,232,000 | 0·5 | 1·3 |
Polar regions | 4,478,200 | 82,500 | ... | ... |
Total | 136,038,872 | 1,433,887,500 | 10·5 | 27·1 |
Sex.—The obstacles which make it difficult to attain even an approximate statement of the population of the world prevent us from obtaining any accurate knowledge whatever as to the sexual constitution of that population. We have, however, tolerably accurate information on this subject for most of the countries of Europe, for the United States, and for Canada. From the figures available it is evident that no general proposition can be laid down on the subject of the normal proportion of females to males, except that in so-called “old” countries there is usually a slight excess of the former.
Year. | Females to each 1000 Males. | |
German Empire | 1875 | 1,036 |
England and Wales | 1871 | 1,054 |
Scotland | 〃 | 1,096 |
Ireland | 〃 | 1,044 |
Denmark | 1870 | 1,026 |
Norway | 1865 | 1,036 |
Sweden | 1870 | 1,067 |
Austria | 1869 | 1,041 |
Hungary | 〃 | 1,002 |
Italy | 1870 | 989 |
Switzerland | 〃 | 1,046 |
France | 1872 | 1,008 |
Belgium | 1866 | 995 |
Holland | 1869 | 1,029 |
United States | 1870 | 972 |
Canada | 〃 | 939 |
The census of England and Wales for 1881 gave 1055 females to 1000 males. A slight tendency to an increase in the proportion is perceptible in some countries, and to a decrease in others, as the following table (IV.) given by Wappäus and quoted by Haushofer (p. 217) will show. The reader will observe that Wappäus’s figures are the proportions to 100, not to 1000, as in Table III.
Year. | Females to 100 Males. |
Year. | Females to 100 Males. | |||
England | 1851 | 104·16 | Sweden | 1850 | 106·40 | |
Scotland | 〃 | 110·02 | France | 1851 | 101·12 | |
Ireland | 〃 | 103·37 | Belgium | 1846 | 100·47 | |
Denmark | 1850 | 103·30 | Holland | 1849 | 103·96 | |
Norway | 1855 | 104·14 | United States | 1850 | 95·05 |
The 1880 census of the United States states the proportion of females to males at 96·54 per cent., which is rather smaller than that shown in 1870 (97·2 per cent.); but immigration is still a potent factor in the growth of the population of that country.
With regard to the causes of the excess of females, as in most other social phenomena, our knowledge is very small at present. The reason for the broad distinction between Europe and North America is pretty obvious. New countries are continually receiving many male and fewer female immigrants. Probably also, life being very rough in the more unsettled portions of such countries, the rate of mortality among females is a little higher than in places where women can receive more protection from hardship. On the other hand, even in Europe men run many risks to which women are not exposed. The subject is a very interesting one, but cannot be adequately treated except at much greater length than is possible here, and we must refer our readers to special works for further information.
Table V.—Statement of the “Age Scale” (Altersaufbau) of the Population of in each of the undermentioned Countries; showing by Semi-Decennial Periods up to 30 Years, and Decennial Periods subsequently, the Number of Persons of each Age out of every Thousand Persons in the Population.
| ||||||||||||||
0–5. | 5–10. | 10–15. | 15–20. | 20–25. | 25–30. | 30–40. | 40–50. | 50–60. | 60–70. | 70–80. | 80–90. | Over 90. | ||
German Empire | 1875 | 134 | 112 | 102 | 95 | 83 | 76 | 134 | 103 | 84 | 51 | 21 | 4 | 0·2 |
England | 1871 | 135 | 119 | 107 | 96 | 88 | 78 | 128 | 100 | 73 | 47 | 22 | 5 | 0·4 |
Scotland | 〃 | 136 | 120 | 111 | 100 | 87 | 76 | 122 | 96 | 71 | 49 | 25 | 6 | 0·6 |
Ireland | 〃 | 120 | 105 | 103 | 116 | 106 | 71 | 103 | 99 | 83 | 61 | 23 | 8 | 1·1 |
Denmark | 1870 | 124 | 107 | 102 | 93 | 81 | 75 | 130 | 114 | 85 | 56 | 26 | 6 | 0·4 |
Norway | 1865 | 135 | 119 | 106 | 94 | 81 | 70 | 131 | 107 | 67 | 52 | 29 | 7 | 0·7 |
Sweden | 1870 | 118 | 116 | 106 | 91 | 79 | 73 | 131 | 119 | 85 | 51 | 26 | 5 | 0·3 |
Austria | 1869 | 130 | 108 | 99 | 93 | 85 | 82 | 138 | 113 | 84 | 47 | 16 | 3 | 0·2 |
Hungary | 〃 | 147 | 115 | 108 | 95 | 82 | 86 | 141 | 106 | 70 | 37 | 11 | 2 | 0·3 |
Italy | 1870 | 115 | 109 | 100 | 90 | 87 | 77 | 115 | 134 | 84 | 57 | 24 | 6 | 0·6 |
Switzerland | 〃 | 113 | 106 | 97 | 84 | 81 | 80 | 141 | 119 | 89 | 61 | 24 | 4 | 0·2 |
France | 1872 | 93 | 91 | 87 | 84 | 88 | 72 | 139 | 125 | 104 | 72 | 36 | 7 | 0·4 |
Belgium | 1866 | 120 | 105 | 92 | 88 | 84 | 78 | 132 | 112 | 89 | 66 | 27 | 6 | 0·4 |
Holland | 1869 | 130 | 109 | 94 | 92 | 79 | 78 | 135 | 113 | 84 | 53 | 26 | 5 | 0·3 |
Average for Europe | 121 | 108 | 100 | 92 | 87 | 78 | 134 | 112 | 85 | 55 | 21 | 5 | 0·4 | |
United States | 1871 | 140 | 124 | 123 | 105 | 96 | 80 | 128 | 93 | 59 | 33 | 14 | 3 | 0·4 |
Canada | 1861 | 174 | 132 | 123 | 117 | 17 | 110 | 76 | 49 | 29 | 12 | 3 | 0·5 | |
General average | 125 | 111 | 104 | 94 | 166 | 133 | 108 | 81 | 52 | 22 | 5 | 0·4 |
- ↑ For more minute information see Petermann’s Mittheilungen, “Ergänzungsheft” No. 69.