Births in War-Time
The birth-rate in the first quarter of this year was higher than it has been in any first quarter since 1928, the increase as compared with 1940 being from s5.o to 16.8 per thousand. It must not be supposed that this is evidence that the reproduction trend has taken a real turn for the better. Under the conditions of this war, as in the last, there is a tendency for marriage to be advanced and for family life to be started earlier, but there is nothing to show that the families will ultimately be larger by having arrived earlier. None the less, the increase in the number of children in war-time is a fact, and it is one which it would be profitable to examine. No doubt it is partly due to the fact that young men and women want to have children while both mother and father are still alive. But the increased birth-rate may also partly be due to the fact that more money is available in war-time and that the economic burden of children presents fewer dreads. These are matters which deserve further examination.
Previous page
