B

children. In 1921—25 the death of children in the first year of life
was only 52 per thousand (excl. still-births), that is, lower than anywhere
 else in Europe, Norway excepted. In this respect there is a
vast change for the better, as the mortality amongst children in the
first year of life was for the years 1871—80 189 per thousand (excl.
still-births), and for 1841—50 even 313 per thousand.
The most common causes of death are pneumonia, tuberculosis, and
weakness due to old age (debilitas senilis), which together account for
more than {two-fifths of the deaths. Of all the deaths in the years 1921—25
{5.8 per cent. were due to pneumonia, 13.8 per cent. to tuberculosis (pulmonary
 alone being responsible for 9.1 p. c), and 12.0 p. c. to old
age weakness. In the same period 8.1 p. c of the deaths were due to
accidents and 7.5 p. ¢. to cancer. Accidents are thus among the more
prominent causes of death, especially deaths by drowning amongst fishermen
 along the extensive coasts. In 1921—25 more than four-fifths of the
deaths caused by accidents were due to drowning. Suicide is comparatively
rare in Iceland. and murder does not occur for years and years together.

RURAL AND URBAN POPULATION
In spite of the great increase of the population since 1890, there
has from 1880 been a steady decline in the number of the rural
population, all the increase having gone to the towns, which in consequence
 have grown very rapidly. Formerly almost all the people
were farmers. In 1880 there were but three towns in the country with
a total of 3630 inhabitants, or 5 p. c. of the then population. Now
{here are 8 towas with a total of 41000, or about two-fifths of the
nation, besides 21 coastal villages with from 300—1200 inhabitants
sach, or 12000 in all. If these are included in the town population it
attains to 51 p. c. of the nation. The changes that have taken place
in this respect are shown in the following table:

1880
890
.890
910
1920
1028

Coastal villages
with more than
300 inhabitants

Towns
50 p. c.
1.5 - 88.9 p. c.
(2.9 ~- rE 80.3 -
21.1 — 11.1 — 67.8 —
30.7 — 12.0 — 57.3 —
39.4 — 11.2 — 49.4 --Rural

 districts


Total
00 p. c.
100 —
100 —
100 —
100 -—
100

in 1928 the town population was as follows: