The only countries in which the mortality appears to be so small as in England, are, Norway, in which it is ¹⁄₅₄, and the Basses Pyrenées, in which it is ¹⁄₅₆[29]. In all the other countries which have given returns it exceeds the English proportion, sometimes by doubling it, and in the majority of instances by more than one fourth.
A portion of our apparent superiority arises from the rapidity with which our population is increasing; but though the proportion of our births exceeds the average proportion of Europe, the difference as to births is small when compared with the difference as to deaths, and in a great part of the north of Europe and Germany the proportion of births is greater than our own, and therefore the longevity of the population still more inferior to that of England than it appears to be.
[29] We exclude Lubeck, the Azores, and European Turkey, as the Returns from them appear to be mere guesses.
London: Printed by William Clowes and Sons, Stamford-street.