HEAVIER DEATHROLL

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22521, 1 October 1938, Page 22

HEAVIER DEATHROLL

1938 May Set New

Record

MARRIAGE AND BIRTH RATES IMPROVE

The year 1938 is likely to bring to Christchurch its heaviest death-roll since 1918, when the influenza epidemic was responsible for an abnormal increase in the number of deaths. Last year’s total approached more closely to the 1918 figure than that of any year since, but the deaths in. the nine months of the present year exceed very considerably those in the corresponding period of 1937. Last year was responsible for a record number of marriages, and births also showed a big increase, without approaching very closely the level maintained before the marked decline which set in from 1931 onward. The attached table, supplied by the Registrar of Births, Deaths, and Marriages, shows the vital statistics for the Christchurch district over the last 22 years, the figures for the pretent year, of course, covering only nine months;—

Comparisons of vital statistics for Christchurch for September of 1938 and 1937 and for the January-Septem-hf>r nprinrt nf hnth vparo ns as fnllrmrs*

Year. Births. Deaths. Marriages 1917 . 2485 1221 711 1918 . 2248 1657 701 1919 . 2109 1169 1067 1920 . 2740 1393 1344 1921 . 2557 1145 1116 1922 . 2611 1198 1061 1923 . 2471 1337 1165 1924 . 2552 1177 1047 1925 . 2543 1208 1088 1926 . 2602 1347 1136 1927 . 2515 1294 1140 1928 . 2504 1294 1126 1929 . 2417 1235 1166 1930 . 2448 1363 1139 1931 . 2281 1262 1022 1932 . 2151 1324 1031 1933 . 2130 1273 1169 1934 . 2057 1415 1216 1935 . 2020 1415 1260 1936 . 2175 1423 1413 1937 . 2305 1626 1484 1938 (nine months) 1727 1259 1020

September 1937. 1938. Birtjis Deaths 193 .. 196 195 157 Marriages .. 106 98 25 Marriages in office 28 Jannary-Septembcr 1938. 1937. Births .. ., 1727 1691 Deaths ,. 1259 1201 Marriages .. 1020 1018 Ma rriages in office 209 193