ABSTRACT
Though the statistical material for England and Wales was growing both in quantity and quality throughout the 19th century, up to 1875 no very exact conclusions can be based upon it. The fact that the statistics were becoming more reliable every decade introduced a new possibility of error when they were used for comparative purposes. After 1815 the population continued to grow at a rapid rate, but the rate of growth was already established and there does not appear to have been any outstanding alteration in the birth or death rates. Once the death rate has fallen below the birth rate to any considerable degree, a population will continue to grow without any further alteration of the rates or even in spite of a degree of adverse change. Though the second and third quarter of the 19th century was a period of considerable economic and social change, it was yet comparatively stable from the point of view of vital statistics.
