| Deserted by husband, parents, or other members of the family | 794 |
| Death of husband, parents, or other persons contributing to their support, or other cause of poverty | 2,139 |
| To provide for the wants of children, parents, or other sick or needy members of the family | 393 |
| 3,326 | |
| 31.9% of a total of 10,422. |
Dr. Blaschko shows that the forced idleness among garment makers during some months of each year causes an increase of prostitution.[150]
As we have seen in the first part of this work, it has been proved at various times that crime against property increases or diminishes according as the economic situation is favorable or unfavorable. If poverty is one of the causes of prostitution it must follow that the number of prostitutes will vary at the same times as the general condition. Statistics prove that this is what does actually happen. However, we need only take into consideration the figures for registered prostitutes; if we had at our disposal the figures for clandestine prostitution they would naturally show still greater modifications.
Berlin.[151]
| Year. | Number of Prostitutes Registered. | To 100,000 of the Population. |
| 1869 | 1709 | 223 |
| 1870 | 1606 | 203 |
| 1871 | 1625 | 197 |
| 1872 | 1701 | 198 |
| 1873 | 1742 | 195 |
| 1874 | 1956 | 210 |
| 1875 | 2241 | 232 |
| 1876 | 2386 | 242 |
| 1877 | 2547 | 248 |
| 1878 | 2767 | 262 |
| 1879 | 3033 | 277 |
| 1880 | 3186 | 284 |
| 1881 | 3465 | 298 |
| 1882 | 3900 | 326 |
| 1883 | 3769 | 306 |
| 1884 | 3724 | 293 |
| 1885 | 3598 | 273 |
| 1886 | 3000 | 230 |
| 1887 | 3063 | 216 |
| 1888 | 3392 | 231 |
| 1889 | 3703 | 244 |
| 1890 | 4039 | 255 |
| 1891 | 4364 | 273 |
| 1892 | 4663 | 288 |
| 1893 | 4794 | 292 |
[[345]]
Leaving aside the abnormal years, 1870 and 1871, we perceive that the prosperous years 1872 and 1873 give very low figures. After this period times become worse and worse, while the number of prostitutes sustains a considerable increase. From the year 1882 economic conditions began to improve, and the figures for prostitution correspondingly fell, to rise again very noticeably during the unfavorable years 1889 to 1892.
In his work “Statistik der gerichtlichen Polizei im Königreiche Bayern und in einigen anderen Ländern”, Dr. Mayr also gives convincing proofs of the parallelism between the changes in the economic situation and prostitution.[152]
However it is not only forced unemployment leading to great poverty that is one of the causes of prostitution; we must also consider as such the fact that the wages paid to women are often so small that it is impossible for them to pay even their necessary expenses, and are thus obliged to find some supplementary source of income.
In his work already quoted, “Die wirthschaftlichen Ursachen der Prostitution”, Pappritz fixes the minimum that a working woman in Berlin must have for her strictly necessary expenses at 600 marks a year. Most of the women working in factories generally earn but 500 marks. The average earnings in 1897 were 457 for dressmakers, and 354 for those who made the button-holes (hand labor). And yet the wages paid in Berlin were not the lowest—the average for all Germany was 322 marks.[153]