A study of the census of 1910 showing the distribution of the population
of Porto Rico by race and by age periods gives some interesting
information. If the situation given there is taken to be typical of
general conditions, by considering the number of children of each class
under one year of age, we find that the highest birth rate is among the
mulattoes; next in order come the native whites of native parentage,
next the blacks, and last the native whites of foreign or mixed
parentage. The actual percentage of each class under one year of age is
as follows: mulattoes, 3.9 per cent; native whites of native parentage,
3.6 per cent; blacks, 2.5 per cent; native whites of foreign or mixed
parentage, 2 per cent. The percentage of the population under five years
of age in each class tends to confirm this statement. It is as follows:
mulattoes 17.9 per cent; native whites of native parentage, 14.7 per
cent; blacks, 12.2 per cent; native whites of foreign or mixed
parentage, 9.5 per cent.
While the mulattoes have the highest birth rate, it is also true that,
as a general thing, they are the shortest lived of any of the classes
mentioned. The class which generally has greatest longevity consists of
the negroes; next in order come the native whites of mixed or foreign
parentage, then the native whites of native parentage, and last, the
mulattoes. Thus the order, as regards length of life, is nearly the
reverse of what it is as regards birth rate.
It is observed also that while native whites of foreign or mixed
parentage have a comparatively great length of life and a comparatively
low birth rate, their children, who fall in the class of native whites
of native parentage, have shorter lives and tend to produce larger
families, than did the parents. In each class the females outnumber the
males, the proportion being 100 females to 99.4 males for the total
population, which, however, includes the foreign-born whites, where the
males outnumber the females. In the classes of native-born citizens, the
difference between the numbers of the sexes is greater than the ratio
for the total population would indicate, being the greatest among the
mulattoes, where the ratio is 93.6 males for every 100 females. In each
class it is found that the women enjoy greater length of life than do
the men.
The following table shows what proportion of the total number of each
class of the population falls under the age groups designated.
Transcriber's Note: The following abbreviations were used to keep this
table to a reasonable width:
M = Males
F = Females
TABLE V
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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