This was in the main the case, in Norway until 1845; subsequently,
however, the emigration surplus has detracted to a considerable
degree from the growth. While the actual growth during
the years 1856—1865 still amounted to 89 per cent of the natural,
from 1866 to 1875 the country retained only.51 per cent, and from
187.6 to 1890, no more than 46 per cent of its excess of births.
To illustrate the actual growth- of the population, and its
dependence upon the amount of emigration, the following diagram
is subjoined. The unbroken line represents the actual growth of
the population, while the dotted line indicates the surplus of
emigration.
The proportion of the actual to the natural increase of the
population, however, is very different in the cases of the towns
and of the rural districts, the latter having always borne the
excess of emigration for the whole country, and having, moreover,
been obliged to relinquish a part in order to augment the
towns. How the proportion in this respect has stood since 1845
will be seen from the following table, which gives the actual
increase of the population in the form of a percentage of the
natural increase.
Kural Districts Towns
. :
1846—1856• • • . . . • • • • • 73.20 % ' 185.10 %
1856—1865 . H . R 1 H . . . B 74.00 » 182.50 »
1866—1875. . . H . . : • 22.40 » | 178,70 1
1876 1890 ............................... .14.60 » 145.40 ■»
The rural districts, from 1876 to 1890, have only been able to
retain 14.60 per cent of their excess of births, while the remainder
is absorbed by emigration to the towns and abroad.
How the growth of the Norwegian population stands as compared
with other European countries will be seen from the following
figures, which are taken from the Swedish statistician, S und-
BiEG-’s statistic tables, and give the annual growth-percentage for
the years 1881 to 1890.
Norway . . . . .
England . ,.
Germany . . . .
France . . . . .
All Europe. . . .
ExCess of Births
Excess,
of Migration
Actual Growth
percentage
1.38 per cent
1.32 •» / >. .
1.15 » »
0.19 ». »
1.04 » » •
— 0.98 per cent
. — 0.22 » »
— 0.28 »
0.04 » »
— -0.17 *
0.40 per cent
1.10 » »
0.87 » »
, 0.23 » .»
0.87 » »
None of the above-mentioned countries, and in reality no othei
country in Europe except Ireland, loses so large a portion of its
births-exeess by emigration as Norway.
V. MOVEMENT OF THE POPULATION.
MARRIAGES.
The number of marriages in Norway has amounted to from
13,000 to 14,000 per annum during the last few years. H the
number of marriages be compared with the mean population,
it will be found that for the years 1881—-1890, the average percentage
of marriages was 0.65 per 100 inhabitants. During the
ten years immediately preceding, the percentage was considerably
larger — 0.72 —, and has moreover varied not a little during the
present century. I t was largest in 1815 and 1816, when' the
country was at peace once more after the unhappy years from