A 
females. In Iceland this difference is due solely to a higher death-rate 
among males than females. The struggle with nature has often proved 
comparatively as destructive to human life as war, when whole crews 
have been drowned in a single day. Formerly the surplus of women 
was still greater, as e. g. in 1801, when to every 1000 males there 
were 1192 females. This number in 1880 had fallen to 1123, and since 
‘hen there has been a steady decline. 
If the population is classed according to age, the census of 1920 
gives the following figures: 
Under 20 years . . . . . . . . . . 42,6 p.c. 
Between 20 and 60 years (productive age) 46.9 — 
Over 60 years. . . . « ® 3 10.3 
If persons 15—20 years old and those aged 60—70 are included in 
the productive-age class, the figure of 62.6 per cent. of an able-bodied 
age is arrived at. 
Married and unmarried persons over 20 years of age were as fol- 
ows (census 1920): Males Females 
Unmarried . . . . . 38.4 p.c. 38.3 p.c. 
Married . 54.1 — 37.3 — 
Widowed 5.6 — 13.5 — 
Divorced 09 0.9 -- 
100.0 p.c. 100.0 p.-. 
Since 1880 there has been a comparative increase in the number 
of marriages. Married males and females over 20 years old were then 
48.2 p. c. and 39.9 p. c. respectively. In 1920 the number of married 
males had risen to 54.1 p. c., that of females to 47.3 p. ¢. The number 
of married persons in Iceland as compared with the number of the 
population is, however, still lower than in other European countries 
(except Ireland), and marriages are not so frequent, if we leave out of 
account a little increase during the Great War and the years im- 
mediately following. The average annual number of marriages per 
1000 of population is as follows: 
1876—1885 
1886—1895 
1896—1905 
1906 —1915 
19161920 
1921 ~ 1925 
1926 . . 
1927 
1928