UPWARD TREND

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 6, Issue 7, 21 September 1942, Page 2

UPWARD TREND

RECORD MARRIAGE RATE

NEW ZHALAND POPULACE

An upward trend in population due to a record marriage rate, an unusually high birth rate, and a death rate showing little variation from normal is revealed by the report just issued on vital statistics for the year 1910. Though the incidence of deaths from heart disease and cancer increased, the national health was normal, without serious epidemics, and for some diseases the death rate decreased. With over 11 marriages for every 1000 people in New Zealand during the year, the marriage rate was the highest ever recorded in the country. The rate of 11.28 per 1000 compared with 11.12 the previous year. Since 1932,. when the marriage rate reached the lowest level for the present century with the exception of 1917 and 1918, there has been a regular increase from (5.81 per 1000. The number of marriages in 1940 was 17,448. Lower Infant Mortality A record was established for the lowest death rate of infants under one year—3o.2l per 1000, compared with 108.53 in the worst year, 1874. The birth rate of 21.19 was the highest. since 1923, and though the rate was only slightly over half that reached in 1878, when the rate was 11.90, the number of children born that 3 T ear was the highest in the history of the Dominion. There were '31,771 live births. The death rate of 9.21 represented by 14,282 deaths, siiowed little variation from that of the previous four years. The lowest death rate ever recorded was 7.99 in 1933The excess of births over deaths for the 10 years following was 133,748 and of that Dominion total 27,649 were in Wellington provincial district. The mean population at the end of 1940 was estimated at 1,546,312, excluding 90 ; ,993 Maoris. Of the non-Maori population, 775,879 were males and 770,4.33 females. There were also more males than females among Maoris. The division of the population Into age groups, each of five years, for statistical purposes, showed that the largest group included those from 15 to. 20 years of age, Avith 135,900 persons. The next, largest was the group of. those under five. For the Maoris the largest age group was of those under five. Examination of the number of deaths according to age groups suggests that the average expectation# of life for a New Zealander is between 75 and 80 years for women and between 65 and 70 years for men. August, was the month in which most deaths occurred, fewest being in February. The most common cause of death was disease of the heart, the rate per 10,000 from that cause being 29.52, the highest for at least ten years. Next most frequent cause of death was cancer, from which 1858 people died in 1940. The death rate from this disease showed a gradual increase in the previous ten years. Only one death occurred from scarlet lever and 15 from dipthcria, in both of which ! diseases the death rate for the year reached the lowest recorded point. Marriages from 16 to 88 For a first venture into marriage 24 years was the most common age for men and 21 years for women. March was the favourite Avedding month and September the least attractive. A AvidoAA'er of 88 Avas married to a bride of 63, and two spinsters of 75 years were also married. These were the oldest peoxile to enter the married state during the year. Sixtysix people of 70 years and over, including one divorced Avoman of 74 years, married. The number of minors contracting marriage Avas 1730, of Avhom 1379 Avere girls. One youth and 94 girls of 16 years married, while four girls had been divorced and remarried by the age of 20. The youngest male remarrying after divorce was aged. 22. The number of divorced persons Avho remarried Avas 1279. Clasification of the status of those marrying shows that, bridegrooms, Avhether previously bachelors, AvidoAvers or diA'orced, preferred spinsters to Avidowers or divorced Avomen. The tubeculosis death rate hasbeen fairly constant. Of 381 avlio died from the disease, the largest occupational group Avas clerical and professional, folloAved by agricultural and pastoral. It Avas also in

the latter group that the greatest number of deaths occurred from cancer. Maori Health Better Tubercular diseases were the paramount cause of mortality among Maoris, though the death rate from this cause has decreased since 1938. Heart disease is also common with Maoris. As far as can be gathered from the death rate for various ailments, there has been a gradual improvement of the health of -the Maoris during recent years. In such diseases as typhoid fever, measles 5 whooping cough, diptheria and influenza, there has been a cleaner bill of health, and 1940 was the first year since at least 1936 that there had been no death from measles among Maoris. The incidence of suicide has shown little alteration in ten years, the number who took their own lives in 1940 being 168, of whom 132 were women. The worst year from this point of view was 1932', when there were 240 suicides. Automobile accidents accounted for 199 deaths and, though there were fewer cars on the roads, the number of fatalities was greater than in any of the first live years of the past decade. Other accidental or violent deaths totalled 505, which was about the average for this •cause.