In analyzing the social and economic factors underlying the decline of fertility in nineteenth-century France. Etienne van de Walle found that official statistics for the period were incomplete and inaccurate. He thus undertook a full reconstruction. In this volume, he presents a detailed discussion of the methodology used to correct and to supplement these official statistics, along with the results of the reconstruction of 82 French departements, and French and English summaries of his findings. By computing standardized indices of fertility and nuptiality for each of the 82 departements, the author extends the period for which standardized demographic indices are available. His methodology, which evaluates and corrects the biases and defects of the official statistics, provides a model for similar background studies in the future. Originally published in 1974. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.