Hagskýrslur um manntöl - 01.01.1960, Page 31

Manntalið 1703
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population increased by 94 tlious. or almost 190 percent. Table 1 in Summary
sbows the increase and decrease of population 1703—1823 by periods of increase
and decrease, and on page 8 is given the number of population in the years limit-
ing these periods.
The number of population for each parish and district is given in table I,
and in table 2 in Summary a comparison is made witb the population of the districts
in 1950.
Scx proportion. In 1703 the proportion of females to males was 1 202 to 1 000.
In 1950, when the corresponding ratio was only 993 to 1 000, the preponderance
of women appeared only in the higher age groups (over 50 years), but in 1703 it
prevailed in all age groups, even under 5 years (see page 11), which seems to indicate
a high rate of mortality, usually falling more lieavily on the male child.
Age distribution. In the census of 1703 the age was unrecorded for only 7
persons out of every thousand; for all others the actual age was given. Yery likely
tlie distribution according to specific years is not quite reliable. Tbus the figures
for the round years (20, 30, etc., up to 80) are much larger than the nearest ones
on both sides, which suggest that people often gave the approximate age when it
bordered on the round years.
In table II is given tlie age distribution of males and females by one year and
5 years groups, but tal)le 3 in Summary shows the relative age distribution by
5 years groups, and compared with 1950.
In view of the declining mortality rate of late years, it is not surprising that
old people were comparatively fewer in 1703 than now. Also every age class up
to 7 years was comparatively smaller than now and above all the class under
1 year, whicli numbers only a little more tban one half of the 1 year group. Allow-
ance being made for the severe “census winter” witli its probably detrimental con-
sequences on births and the newborn, the exceedingly small size of the class under
one year is very suspicious. In one district the following method of census registra-
tion was expressly stated: A child that has passed tlie first Christmas night is
named one year old. In tliis district tlie census was taken in March and April,
and consequently all children over 4 months have there been entered in the census
as one year old. As this strange method apparently has been applied in several
other districts (see Supplement to table II), this fact seems to provide a fairly
good explanation of tbe extraordinary smallness of the age group under one year.
Marital status. In Table V the population is distributed by marital status,
and in Table 4 in Summary is given the relative distribution in some large age
groups over 20 years, compared with 1950. Although the age class of 20—64 years
was comparatively much more numerous than now, the proportion of married
people was much lower. This fact certainly must be ascribed to the great number
of servants. It is, however, possible that the number of married people is some-
wliat understated, because the married status may not have been given for married
people who had separated and passed into tlie classes of servants and paupers.
Difference in age of married couples. In Table IV is sliown the mutual age of
married couples, and in Table 5 in Summary the difference in their age, from which
appears that in one third of the cases the wife was older than the husband.
Economic activity. The occupations of the population were not varied 2 %
centuries ago. Nearly the whole population was, more or less, engaged in farm-
ing, but in some places fishing was pursued also. This was thought not to be worth
express mention in the census, as the conditions in that respect appeared in the