Marriage Rate, Divorce Rate and Birth Rate in Japan for the Period between 1872 and 1898: A Re-examination

Abstract

The purpose of this study is a re-exmination of population dynamics, especially of marriage, divorce and legitimate and illegitimate birth, in Japan for the late 19th century. Although statistical data concerning population dynamics in Japan had been officially gathered since 1872, the few studies that analyze marriage, divorce and legitimate and illegitimate birth in the 19th century have been carried out. The marriage rates for the period between 1883 and 1898 were estimated at around eight per 1, 000 people. This figure is roughly the same as the marriage rates in the 20th century but other two indices related to the marriage rate were lower than those of the 20th century. The divorce rates for the corresponding period were estimated at three times higher than those of the 20th century . The birth rates for the period between 1872 and 1898 were estimated at around 30 per 1, 000 people and showed the increasing trend. But such increase was considered to be caused by the improvement of the registration system. For the same reason both the legitimate birth rates and the illegitimate birth rates showed the increase for the period between 1886 and 1898. But it is noteworthy that the ratio of illegitimate births to legitimate births had been elevating in those days.