THE FRENCH CENSUS OF 1876.

Press, Volume XXXI, Issue 4281, 19 April 1879, Page 5

THE FRENCH CENSUS OF 1876.

The reporfa of the censne taken in France in 1876, which have been recently published, ■how a total population of 36,900,000, an increase of 800,000 over 1872 including 200,000 immigrants from* Abaca-Lorraine. The increase ia confined to 68 department*, while in 19 there has been a decrease. The most notable gain has been is the cities, amounting in the four yean to 10f per cent, in Bordeaux, 7i in Paris, 6 in Lyons, and 2 in Marseilles. Some departments show more increase in the country than in tho city. In 1851 the urban was 25£ per cent., the rural 74i of the whole population; in 1876 the proportions were 321 and 67£. In California the towns, counting one to each county—and a Oalifornian county is, on an average, as large as a French departmenthave about 60 per cent, of the population of ' the State—» ratio that is probably not to be ■ found in any other country, unless it be England. France has 204 cities, each having more than 100,000 inhabitant*. The French population is divided into 1 10,000,000 households, ocoupjing 7,483,469 houses, with 31,000,000 minors, 7,700,000 1 bachelors, and spinsters, 15,000,000 "husbands ' and wives, and 3,000,000 widows. The minors and celibates, together, xcaVe up 51, tho mar--1 ried people 41, and the widows 8 per cent.

The minors under 15 are 10,000,000; the persons between 15 and GO, inclusive, 22,500,000; those over 60, 4,400,000. The ago of the population in 1877 wa* 31 years and 11 months ; in 1876, it was 31 years and 8 months. Agriculture employs f>3 per cent, of the people; manufacturing icdatrj, 20; commerce, 14; the liberal professions,-i per cent. ; and 9 por cent, live on their income*. Of the 18,963,000 agriculturists, 10,020,000 till their own lands.