Democratic Sentinel, Volume 7, Number 52, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 January 1884 — The Population of China. [ARTICLE]

The Population of China.

Many persons entertain doubts of the accuracy of the figures for the population of China. Four hundred and fifty millions seems an incredible number. A correspondent of the Cincinnati Commercial makes some statements, which ought to remove doubts. 1. The Chinese Government has a census system, under which, at irregular periods, it obtains an enumeration for military purposes of the male members, of families between the ages of 16 and 60. Multiplying this number by five gave in 1842 a population of 414,686,994. The-ecus us of 1856, on the same system, gave in found numbers 450,000,000,, in increase of about 8 per cent, in fourteen years. This reasonable rate of increase, which is less than one-fifth of our- ratio, gives credit to the Chinese figures,. 2. A better method of testing the figures is by comparing the number of persons to the square mile with the number in other populous countries. China, has an area of 5,250,000 square miles,, and 450,000,000, for all the density ©f population, is 86 persons to the- square mile,. Now, in Germany there are 250 to> the square mile, and in. Frame© 180 to» the square mile. It is well known that China is a densely populated country; even its waters, swarm with human life. Canton has 80,00Q> registered boats, on which families; live as their homes; and though the Tartar prosrances are sparsely populated, the people are so think in the rest of the country that 86 persons, to the square mile seems to be below rather than above the truth..— Exchain&e-..