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43
Birth-Rate per 1,000 Living.—This is shown by a continuous
red graph. There is seen to be a continuous, though fluctuating
fall, since 1872, from which date statistics are only available. A
minimum was reached in 1918, followed by a big jump in 1920,
since then the fall has been continued until the present year when
a slight rise occurred.
Death-Rate per 1,000 Population.—There was a steady but
rather widely fluctuating decline since 1885 to a minimum in 1920;
since then there has been no general fall, though the present year
shows a further small decline.
The growth of a population depends on (a) The excess of
births over deaths; (b) Immigration. Although the surplus of
births over deaths is diminishing this is not having any effect on
the increase of population; therefore there must be a very considerable
immigration. The average age of the population is rather
on the high side, a feature which may be due to persons retiring
to the town after active life.
The main factors affecting birth rates are (a) Late marriages;
(b) Decreasing fertility due to various causes among which higher
economic status and greater facilities for amusements may be
mentioned; (c) The practice of abortion; (d) The practice of birth
control. Under civilized conditions it is often found that the rate
of fertility is decreased in ratio to the extent of the departure from
natural conditions. Among the more civilized peoples there is
evidence of a general and marked decrease in the fertility of
women; and in other forms of life, as the organism becmes more
complicated and longer lived the rate of fertility declines.