N.Z. POPULATION IS NEARING TWO MILLION MARK

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 15, Issue 28, 1 May 1950, Page 5

N.Z. POPULATION IS NEARING TWO MILLION MARK

New Zealand’s population is now within measurable distance of two million. New figures published by the Census and Statistics Department show a combined European and Maori total of 1,902,460 at the end of last year. The mean population for the whole year was 1,881.035. Recent increases have been at an average annual rate of about 40,000 so that if they are maintained the two million mark should be passed in the next few years.

Twice As Rapid Maoris numbered 115,082 on December 31, an increase in 10 years of 27,135. Europeans totalled 1,787,378, a rise of 257,012 in the same period. Thus the Maori population has increased about twice as rap.idly as the European. Population of individual cities and towns have not been adjusted by the department. It is expected that they will be announced in the near future. In the meantime Auckland’s population is still shown at 298,900. A review of births and deaths is also published by the department. The table of births shows a European total last year of 43,999 and a Maori total of 4888. In both instances males outnumbered females. The comparable totals for 1939 were 28,833 European children and 4116 Maori children. In the 10 years since then the record European total was the 44,816 born in 1947 and the record Maori the 5776 born in 1946.

Maoris still have a much higher birth rate to every 100 of the mean population. The Maori rate last year was 43.09, compared with 56.49 in 1946 and 46.20 in 1939. The European rate last year was 24.89 compared with-26.42 in 1947, and 18.73 in 1939.

Infant mortality last year was 23.66 for every 1000 live births among Europeans, compared with 21.95 in 1948 and 31.14 in 1939. For Maoris it was 84.70 last year, 76.67 in 1948 and 114.92 in 1939.' <s Deaths Lower

Deaths last year totalled 16,003 among Europeans and 1555 among Maoris. The rate to every 1000 of the population was 9.33, rather lower than the 9.78 in 1939 ahd the lowest for the 10 years’ period since then.

Marriages last year totalled 16,788, fewer than the 17,115 in 1939. The rate of 9.50 to every 1000 of papulation was the lowest since 1944, when as a result of the war it had dropped from the 11.12 of 1939 to 8.43.