DECLINING BIRTH-RATE

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19333, 25 May 1937, Page 9

DECLINING BIRTH-RATE

INQUIRY IN BRITAIN SEARCH FOR REASONS LONDON, April 1. A comprehensive ‘programme of inquiry into the causes and consequence of die expected decline of population in this eoipitry is outlined in at memorandum, -‘The Future of <)ur Population,” issued by the Population investigation Committee.

The memorandum states that, on the assumption that recent trends of fertility and mortality will he continued into the future, the present population ol 40,563,000 will reach a maximum of 40,655,000 in 1940. it will then begin to diminish, and the decline will gather momentum as the years go by. The following estimates are given:— 1950 39,766,600 1975 31.452,000 1985 26.087,000 2000 17.685.000 2035 4,426,000 The. committee proposes to make a statistical analysis of the history of population since 1870, when the birthrate began to fall, in the main geographical areas, with special reference to the different sizes of urban and rural communities and to occupation. This is to Lie. supplemented by direct investigation of individual families through the card or questionnaire system. Among aspects of the problem on which data will thus he sought are:— Differential fertility of social and occupational groups and of people at varying income levels,

Medical causes of infertility Economic causes, and

Social and psychological causes. The committee intends to publish re ports at. intervals as its work proceeds.