Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 71.djvu/482

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prepared under the auspices of the French government showing graphically the average annual number of births and deaths per thousand of population in those countries which publish adequate statistics. It will be noted that in all parts of the civilized world both the birth rates and the death rates tend to decrease, and that, as a rule, those countries having the lowest death rates have also the lowest birth rates. As is well known, the low-est birth rate is that of the French—22.2 during the decade 1891 to 1900 and still falling. This is followed very closely by the figures for Ireland—23. There is then a break to Sweden and Switzerland, with birth rates, respectively, of 27.2 and 28.1. The highest birth rates recorded are in Servia and Roumania. Germany has a birth rate of 36.1; England and Wales of 29.9. During the last twenty years the birth rate has fallen in every country and the death rate has also fallen in practically all countries. The lowest death rates, 16.1 and 16.3, respectively, are in Sweden and Norway. The highest, 33.4 and 30, respectively, are in Russia and Spain.

It should be remembered that the birth rate and the death rate have