than the former. Out of 100 widowers, for instance, from 30 to
35 years of age, 24 per cent married annually during the years
1 8 7 l f l880, and out of 100 bachelors, only 12 per cent. The same
proportion, holds good in the case of women.
The number of marriages in Norway, in which one of the
parties had been previously divorced, amounts to 0.05 per cent,
and is thus unusually small.
A comparatively large number of marriages in Norway are
made between nearly-related persons. At the last census, it was
demonstrated that 6.70 per cent of all married persons were 'mutually
as nearly, or more nearly related than second cousins. Consanguineous
marriages are most frequent in the more remote valleys,
and are greatly dependent upon the development of the means of
communication.
BIRTHS.
At the present time in Norway, rather more than 60,000
children are bom annually, not including still-born children.
This number is equivalent to rather more than 3 per 100 inhabitants.
The proportion varies somewhat from year to year.'
The lowest birth percentage for a period of 5 years in Norway,
during the present century, is shown ,by the years 1806—1810,
which, as already mentioned, was a time of war, with much want
and misery. During these years, only 2.68 children per 100 inhabitants
were born annually |S and in the famine year, 1809,
only 2.22. At the conclusion of peace in 1815, the number of
births rose, and in 1816 attained the hitherto highest ratio, viz.
3.51 per cent. Until the end of the thirties,' they remained at
a comparatively high level, but then fell off somewhat until the
sixties, when they once more showed a comparatively high figure
-v- about 3.30 per cent. Since 1871, the number has kept comparatively
regular I - from .1871 to 1880, 3.09, during the next 10
years, 3.08, and from 1891 to 1895, 3.02 per cent.
Most of the other European countries show a higher percentage
of births than Norway. The average for Europe for the years
1881—1890 is reckoned at 3.81 per cent, that for Eastern Europe
being 4.62, and for Western Europe 3.29 per cent. The considerable
difference is due, on the one hand, to the exceedingly large percentage
of births in populous Russia 4^ 4.80 per cent; while the small number
of births in FrancdilB 2.39, less than, half that of Russia — contributes
greatly to reduce the ratio for Western Europe. Of our
more immediate neighbours, Sweden, from 1881 to 1890, showed
a rather smaller, Denmark and Finland a rather larger number
of births than Norway.
The average percentage of births is rather larger in the towns
than in the country.
That there are always more boys born than girls is one of
the Oldest experiences in birth-statistics. In most European countries,
the difference, in children bpm alive, is about 5 or 6 per cent.
.During the years 1887- 1891, for instance, in Norway, 105.80 boys
came into the world to every 100 girls, and the proportion during
the present century has remained constant, the average fdr the
years from 1801-S1885 being 105.27 to 100. In England, during
the 5 years 1887.—1891, the proportion was 103.60 to 100, while
in Greece, on the ■ other hand, for the years 188®-1885, it is
stated to have been 118 boys to 100 girls.
-If the still-born children are taken into account, the difference
becomes, somewhat greater, as here the majority of boys is much
greater than among those bom alive.
The number of still-born children in Norway is about the
same as in Sweden and Denmark, but somewhat less than in most
other European countries, I t is considerably larger among illegitimate
than among legitimate children. During the years 1887 -1891,
3.92 per cent of the illegitimate children in Norway were still-born,
but only 2.58 per cent of the legitimate. In France the difference
was even more marked, 7.82 per cent being illegitimate still-born
children, as against 4.27 per cent legitimate still-born children.
The classification of births as1 legitimate and; illegitimate is
of much interest, as it helps to throw light upon the moral conditions
of a country; but from a purely statistical stamd-point, it
cannot be accorded the same significance. On the other hand,
however; it cannot be pronounced altogether destitute of interest
to population statistics; more: especially because the illegitimate
children, as a rule, do not -bring to society the same strength as
the legitimate, as they more frequently fall into unfortunate conditions
of life, and become a burden to society. If we compare
the state of affairs in this respect in Norway with that in other
European countries, it will be found that "although in our land
there are indeed fewer illegitimate births than in the. neighbouring
countries (in Norway, for instance, during the years 1891—1895,