Population of the Major European Countries

in the 19th Century

( in millions)

Austria Britain France Germany Italy Russia 1800 (10.5) 27.3 17.2 35.5 1810 (12.0) 40.7 1820 21.7 20.9 30.5 22.4 19.7 48.6 1830 24.1 32.6 26.6 21.2 56.1 1840 29.5 26.7 34.2 30.4 22.9 62.4 1850 30.7 27.4 35.8 33.4 24.4 68.5 1860 32.6 28.9 37.4 35.6 25.0 74.1 1870 35.7 31.5 36.1 41.1 26.8 84.5 1880 37.9 34.9 37.4 45.2 28.5 97.7 1890 41.3 37.7 38.1 49.4 117.8 1900 45.2 41.5 38.5 56.4 32.5 132.9 1910 49.5 45.2 39.2 64.9 34.7 160.7

Source: B. R. Mitchell, European Historical Statistics, 1750-1975, 2nd ed. (New York, 1980). Figures are usually for the decade year or the following year, but sometimes for an intervening year; and are for the country's territory at the date given, except as specified below.

Austria : The figures exclude the Italian lands (lost in 1859-66) and Bosnia-Herzegovina (held from 1878 on). Before 1850 the Hungarian component (about 3/7 of the total) is an estimate.

Britain : Although all of Ireland was officially part of Britain, the British census was first extended to Ireland in 1821; thus the first two British figures in the table omit a substantial Irish population. From 1820 to 1840 Ireland's population made up over 30% of the British total. However, following the demographic catastrophe of the 1840s the Irish population declined in each census up to 1910 (from 8.2 million in 1840 to 4.4 million in 1910), so that in 1910 Ireland's share in the total British population was just under 10%.

France : The 1870 figure already shows the loss of Alsace-Lorraine.

Germany : Up to 1860 includes the territories that became Germany except those won in 1864-71. From 1870 on covers the territory of the German Empire.

Italy : Includes all territories that were united in Italy after 1870.

Russia : The figures are all estimates. The only official census, in 1897, returned a total of 126.4 million for the Russian Empire excluding Finland.

Population Growth of the Major European Countries

in the 19th Century

Decade ending Austria Britain France Germany Italy Russia 1810 (14.0%) 14.6% 1820 (17.7%) 19.4% 1830 15.3% 6.9% 19.1% 7.5% 15.4% 1840 10.8% 5.1% 14.0% 8.1% 11.2% 1850 4.3% 2.6% 4.5% 10.0% 6.2% 9.8% 1860 6.0% 5.5% 4.5% 6.4% 2.7% 8.2% 1870 9.7% 9.0% -3.4% 15.4% 7.1% 14.0% 1880 6.0% 10.8% 3.6% 10.2% 6.2% 15.6% 1890 9.0% 8.0% 1.9% 9.3% 20.6% 1900 9.4% 10.1% 0.8% 14.0% 12.8% 1910 9.5% 8.9% 1.9% 15.2% 6.8% 20.9% 1820-

1910 128.0% 116.3% 28.7% 190.1% 75.8% 230.7%