We now pass on to consider by what livelihoods the population
of our country chiefly seeks its maintenance, and how large
a part each of the great branches of industry plays in the economy
of the country. Here, too, it may be interesting to compare the
results of the last two censuses. For this purpose, the following
survey is subjoined of the total number of persons who were
associated directly or indirectly with the various occupations and
businesses, considered absolutely and relatively.
Total Number of Persons Percentage
1876 1891 1876 1•891
Agriculture, cattle-farming &
forest cultivation .
F i s h i n g ................................
Industries & mining .
Trade, transport by land, etc.
N a v ig a t io n ..........................
Intellectual work . . . .
1,052,638
, 102,685
352,716
129,279 •
118,679
62,856
976,047
171,885
461,756
189,392
118,729
87,293
58.06
5.46
19.39
7.10
6.53
3.46
48.65
8.58
23.04
9.45
6.92
4.36
Total 1,818,853 2,004,102 100.00 10Ö.0Ö
Thus in 1891, almost half the Norwegian population gained
a livelihood by agriculture, and about a fourth part by industries
and mining, while 'trade and transport by land came third,
fishing fourth, and shipping fifth. The first and largest group,
however, exhibits, a marked decline since the previous census,
namely from 58.06 to 48.65 per cent. I t must here be remarked,
however, that the line of demarcation between agriculturists and
several of the other groups, fishermen in ¿particular, is very uncertain,
as a considerable number of persons along the coast carry
on both fishing and farming. I t is therefore probable that a comparatively
greater number of these persons' have been classed as
fishermen in 1891 than in 1876. This circumstance, however, does
not detract from the correctness of the figures, as in any case
there is a considerable falling-off in the number of persons associated
with agriculture, while all the other groups, except shipping, give
occupation to an increasing percentage of the inhabitants of
the country.
A reliable comparison of th e . classification of the population
of the several countries, according to Occupations, is very difficult
to obtain. We shall therefore here confine ourselves to the
statement th a t. a comparatively large proportion of the population
of Norway maintains itself by agriculture, fishing and trade, while
the Norwegian 'industrial population is still comparatively small.
If the Norwegian worTci/ng population in 1891 be classified
according to their occupation and station in life, the following
result is obtained:
Persons with
IndependPrivate
ent OccuServants,
Labourers, Total 'etc. • • etc. :
pation
Public functionaries & the
professions. . 6,048 16,102. . 4,846 . 26,996
Agriculture, cattle-farming,
forest-cultivation . . . 123,382 3,743 207,968 335,093
Fishing . . . . . . . 41,394 ’ 189 16,084 57,667
Mining & smelting, e tc .. , Û .337. 4,133 ' 4,514
Manufacture, road-making,
1,166 4,456 49,255 -, 54,876
Handicrafts . . . . 32,722 675 . ., 42,395. 75,792
Minor industries . . . . 30,763 107' 14,103 44,973
Trade & money transactions 16,959 15,070 10,620 42,649
Inn & tavern-keeping . ' . 3,194 359 ' 2,716 6,269
Transport by land, railway
works, post, telegraph,
etc. .. .'. v ... 2,068 2,78.7 7,735 * 12,590. •
Shipping, piloting, harbour
& lighthouse administration,
flotage, etc. . . . 1,819 13,742 ) 29,807 46,368
Domestic work . . . 305,324 13,142 153,547 472,0Ï3
Insufficiently defined daily
w o rk . . . . . . . . 1 115 8,543 8,659
Total 564.884 70,823 661,7^2' 1,187,459
On account. of the extent and very varied physical character
of bur country, the various stations in life are distributed in very
unequal proportions throughout the country. Thus while 69.20 per
Cent of the population of the whole country in Northern Bergen-
hus, and rather less in Kristian’s and Komsdal’s divisions derived
their subsistence from agriculture, this was the. case with only
18.30 per cent of the rural population of Finmarken, of which more
than 2/s lived by fishing. In Tromsa division too, more than half
of the rural population was dependent on this last occupation,
which in Nordland provides 44 per cent of the country inhabitants