The French Births LOWER
High Cost and Other Alter-War Conditions Are Cause.
In Comparison With 100 years Ago
Each French Marriage Brings
Fewer Than Two Children,
Instead of Four.
Paris.—The high cost of living,
lack of apartments and homes for
newly married couples, selfishness,
too many women employed in industry,
and too much pleasure are the
general causes assigned for the alarming
decrease of the birth rate in
France, now the lowest in Europe.
This is a condition that has been
accentuated by the war, which took
large forces of men to the front,
whence many never returned. The
war also created new conditions of
living for women, gave them work,
made them independent, and disinclined
to marry readily, and less inclined to
have children. This situation is set forth at length by a national alliance for increasing French
population.
In comparison with 100 years ago,
each French marriage brings fewer
than two children, instead of four
children, whereas England's marriages
bring nearly three children instead of
nearly five 100 years ago. In Germany in 1841 the average marriage
brought 4.44 children, as compared
to 2.2 in 1921.
The birth decrease does not result
from high mortality or relatively
fewer marriages. France's population of 39,000,000 in 1922 is practically
that of 1900. The number of marriages for that year was 209,000, or
about the average since then, with
the years following the war showing
a larger number, which is now returning to average. For 1921 the number
of marriages was 450,000, and for
1922 it was a little  Higher. 