Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1876-11-04
The German Census Returns.

The German census returns give the
newly formed empire the rank next to
Great Britain of the fastest growing
country in Europe. Within the limits
now comprised in the German empire
the population has almost doubled in
sixty years. In 1916 the population was
%, 103, Ill in 1875 it is AZ, 726, 844, in
Guiding the annexed territory of Alsace-
Lorraine. The census before that of
last December was taken in 1871 then
the population was 41,023, ,095. Thus
the increase of population amounted to
l, ,7O3, 749 in four years, being slightly
over one per cent per annum. It may
afford material for comparison to state
here that the annual rate of increase in
England and Wales during the seventy
years previous to the census of 1871
was 1.35 per cent, the actual aggregate
increase being 1888, 73O, or 155 per
cent. While it has taken Germany
sixty years to double her population,
England and Wales doubled theirs in
the years intervening between 1901 and
1851, and at the annual rate of increase
prevailing during the ten years preced-
ing 1871 would go on doubling itself
every fifty-six years. The rate of in
crease in Germany from 1871 to 1875
differs in striking manner in the vari-
GUS States of the empire. 1t was largest
in the two free cities of Bremen
and Hamburg, amounting to over six
teen per cent. in the former, and four
teen per cent. in the latter, but this was
not 80 much owing to general increase
of population as to the movement from
rural into urban districts prevailing all
over Europe. The increase of popula-
ton was greatest in Saxony, which had
1856, 244 inhabitants in 1871, and
2, 760, ,342 at the census of 1875, showing
growth at the rate of close upon eight
per cent. in the four years. Next stands
Prussia, the population of which in
creased from "a. .605, ,842 in 1871 to 25,-
693, ,6SS in 1875, or at the rate of 40
per cent. during the period. The three
southern States of Bavaria, Wurtem-
burg, and Baden exhibit very inferior
growth of population. Alsace-Lor-
raine lost-not by decrease of birth, but
by immigration-20,33 $50 souls in the
four years; the population of the
Reichsland falling from 1,54O, ,73S in
1871 to 1929, 40S in 1875, or at the rate of
three and three-fourths per cent. in four
years. Three other States showed
decrease of population in the census re-
turns of 1875. e., the little principali-
ty of Waldeck and the two grand
duchies of Mecklenburg- Schwerin and
Strelitz, the administration of which re-
mains semi feudal. The returns of the
census of 1875 have been summarized in
the statement that the increase of popu-
lation was mainly in the northern States
of Germany, more particularly in Prus-
sia, the eastern provinces of which
stand prominent in this respect, and in
Saxony. In other words the boundary
lines OF large increase fall inss TO amarked
degree with those divisions of the en-
pire inhabited by Protestapts. It is
worthy of remark that in this respect
Germany is typical of the whole of
Europe. The census return supplies
some interesting information upon the
relative number of the sexes. Prussia
has an excess of 1862, 730 females over
males, or proportionately about half the
surplus of females in England and
Wales. In some parts of Prussia, how
ever, there is an excess of males over
females. In the district of Hanover,
for instance, in the province Of the same
name, there was at the census of the first
Of December, 1876, population of 215,-
364, males, and 284, ,695 females while
The district of Luneburg, in the same
province, had as many as 1876, SAG males,
with 1872, 1913 females and the adjoining
district of Osnabruck, 139, ,761 males,
with but 138, DOL females. The review
from which we extract these facts omits
to state, with reference to the provinces
where the ladies are In minority, what
ls the number remaining unmarried
above the age, say, Of thirty.