Population, Population, Increase per
1801. 1901. Year, per cent.

Russia (in Europe) ... 40,000,000 106,159,000 1.36
Germany .............. 24,000,000 56,367,000 1.39
France ............... 26,800,000 38,961,000 0.12
Great Britain and
Ireland .............. 16,300,000 41,605,000 1.21
Austria .............. 25,000,000 45,310,000 0.91
Italy ................ 17,500,000 32,449,000 0.73
Spain ................ 10,500,000 18,000,000 0.32
United States ........ 5,308,000 76,303,000 2.09


This table shows, that while the population of nearly all of these
nations has increased rapidly within the nineteenth century, that the
increase is relatively unequal in some cases. If we project Russia's
increase of population to the year 2000 A.D., we shall find that its
probable population will be in the neighborhood of 300,000,000;
Germany's probable population, say 167,000,000; Great Britain and
Ireland's probable population, 135,000,000; while France's probable
population in the year two thousand, if it continues to increase only at
its present slow rate, will be but 45,000,000. While these forecasts of
population cannot be considered certain in any sense, still they are
sufficient to show that the growth of modern nations in population is
relatively unequal. Inasmuch as the mere element of numbers is one of
the greatest factors for the future greatness of any nation, this is a
highly important matter. A nation of only 40,000,000 a century hence, it
is safe to say, will be no more important than Holland and Belgium are