========================================================================= 1871 1876 1881 1886 1891 1896 1901 COUNTRIES to to to to to to to 1907 1875 1880 1885 1890 1895 1900 1905 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- German Empire 18.84 15.68 15.40 15.68 15.88 17.83 16 16.2 Prussia 18.88 15.86 15.92 16.32 16.40 16.86 16.2 16.4 Bavaria 18.92 14.65 13.64 13.96 14.76 16.09 15.2 15.4 Saxony 19.96 17.70 17.62 18.64 17.52 18.76 16.6 16.8 Austria 18.30 15.52 15.88 15.40 15.76 16.04 15.8 15.8 Hungary 21.51 19.30 20.24 17.72 17.92 16.05 17.2 19.6 Italy 15.54 15.06 14.08 17.64 14.96 14.40 14.8 15.4 Switzerland 16.06 14.90 13.80 14.00 14.72 15.59 15 15.6 France 16.06 15.16 15.04 14.48 14.90 15.14 15.2 16 England and Wales 17.08 15.34 15.14 14.70 15.16 16.14 15.6 15.8 Scotland 14.98 11.76 13.76 18.02 13.68 14.94 14 14 Ireland 9.72 9.04 8.66 8.66 9.48 9.87 10.4 10.2 Belgium 15.44 13.94 13.94 14.34 15.24 16.45 16.2 16.2 Netherlands 16.64 15.76 14.28 14.04 14.48 14.88 15 15.2 Denmark 15.88 15.54 15.38 13.94 13.84 14.79 14.4 15.2 Norway 14.58 14.40 13.82 12.76 12.92 13.73 12.4 11.8 Sweden 14.04 13.20 12.84 12.20 11.45 12.04 11.8 12 Finland 17.68 15.72 14.90 14.40 12.98 15.34 13 13.6 European Russia excl. the Vistula province 19.62 17.62 18.06 17.94 17.08 17.80 -- -- Bulgaria -- -- 18.04 17.24 16.07 -- -- -- Servia 22.80 23.32 22.14 21.76 19.84 -- -- -- ------------------------------------------------------------------------- That the marriage rate rises and sinks with the rise and decline of national prosperity is most strikingly noticeable in Germany. The largest number of marriages (423,900), were contracted in Germany in 1872, the year after the close of the Franco-Prussian war. From 1873 on, the marriage rate declined until in 1879, the year when the crisis was at its worst, it attained its lowest figure (335,133). Then it gradually increased again until 1890, a year of prosperity, to sink once more in 1892 and again to increase with the years of returning prosperity until with the height of prosperity the highest figures were attained (476,491 in 1900, and 471,519 in 1899). The next crisis brought another decline. In 1902 the number of marriages did not exceed 457,208 while in 1906 and 1907 it rose up again to 498,900 and 503,964.