This relates only to the free population. In enumerating slaves no distinction of sex was made earlier than the year 1820. The ratio of male and female slaves since that date is as follows:[403]

1820.1830.1840.1850.
Males100·100·100·100·
Females95·1998·3699·5599·95

From these tables it appears that the males in the free population and the females in the slave population have been steadily increasing, but with no determined ratio of progression.

Taking the total of free and slave population since the census of 1820, the excess of males is stated thus:[404]

1820.1830.1840.1850.
Males4,898,1276,529,6968,688,53211,837,661
Females4,740,0046,336,3248,380,92111,354,215
Excess of males158,123193,372307,611483,446

It will be seen from this that in 1850 the males were in excess at the rate of 2.08 per cent., and by applying the same rule to the population of 1858 a fair estimate of the relative number of each sex at the present time may be made as follows:

Males (1858) 14,925,188
Females 14,316,951
Excess of males 608,237
Total estimated population 29,242,139

In the several geographical divisions of the Union the proportion of white males to white females is thus shown:[405]

New England States (Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut), 100·87 females to 100 males.

Middle States (New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, and District of Columbia), 97·70 females to 100 males.