Population Practically Stationary The Indian Census conducted on March 18 shows that during the decade 1911-1921 the population of the country (British India and Native States) has increased only from 315.15 millions to 3i9 millions—or at the rate of only 1.27 per cent. for the whole decade. At the census in 1872 the population was returned at 206 millions, in 1881 at 253 millions, in 1891 at 287 millions, in 1901 at 294 millions, and in 1911 at 315 millions. Down to 1901 the extent of territory under enumeration was always under increase, and the census statistics consequently ascribed a somewhat spurious vitality to the Indian population. Even between 1901 and 1911, however, when the census area was approaching fixity, the increase was 7.1 per cent., and it was generally believed that the census just concluded would exhibit a population of not less than 340 millions.
The shock afforded to statisticians by an increase in the Indian population of only 1.27 per cent. over an entire decade is best realized by a comparison with France at the period of the greatest stagnation of its population. Even between 1901 and 1911 the population of France increased from 38,962,000 to 39,601,000, or at the rate of 1.64 per cent., for the decennial period. India, the country in which the marriage of every girl on ithe attainment of maturity is a religious obligation, and in which the average marriage is enormously prolific in offspring, has beaten the worst record of the country in which the lateness and infertility of marriages is the subject of national lament.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.