LIFE AND DEATH.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 461, 20 March 1909, Page 13

LIFE AND DEATH.

VITAL STATISTICS FOR 1908. THE CHIEF CENTRES COMPARED. Tho Hegistrar-Gcncrnl's report on tho vital statistics of the four chief citius of New Zealand for tho year 1008 is gazetted, and interesting comparative statements ore givon. Births and Birth-rates. Tho total number of births registered as occurring in the four chief centres mid suburbs in 1903 was 7276, as against 7018 for tho previous The birth-rates per 1000 of population are given for the cities without their suburban boroughs, and also with these boroughs, of which thoro are soven at Auckland, .three at Wellington, three at Christchurch, and six at Dimeilin. By the inclusion of the suburbs tho rate is raised at Wellingi,ut I ,°. rfered at . Auckland, Christchurch, and Dunedin. It will bo observed thai Auck-1 '"is tho highest rate, ChristchurcU next '"Bhest, Wellington and Dunedin following, the birth-rate for the Dominion last year was 27.45 per thousand. Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch aro thus over tho average, and Dunedin below it. The figures aro as follow Without Suburbs. Auckland .... so. SG Wellington ... 27.60 Christchurch 28.43 Dunedin 25^48 With Suburbs. Auokland 28.48 Wellington 27.76 Christchurch 27.39 Dunedin 24.66 The birth-rates for two of the cities last year show a fall when compared with 1907, In Christchurch tho rate fell from 30.47 to 28.43; in Dunedin from 23.69 to 25.48; but rose in Auckland from 29.63 to 30.56; in Wellington from 27.53 to 27.60. The rates for three years, 1906 to 1908 (suburbs excluded) are:— 1906. 1907. 1908. Auokland ... ... 29.36 29.63 30.56 Wellington ... 27.85 27.53 27.60 Christchurch ... 28.19 30.47 28.43 Dunedin 28.96 25.69 25.48 Deaths and Death-rates. The total number of deaths registered for the four centres in 1908 was 2Gl3—viz., 2143 in tho cities, and 500 in the suburbs. By including the suburbs the death-rate for last year is lowered at all the four cdntres. Tho rates for the year per 1000 of population are:— Without Suburbs. Auckland ! 12.43 Wellington 9>]B Uiristohuroh 9,70 Dunedin ... 1^93 With Suburb's. Auckland in ji Wellington "i "! ojO Christchurch ... 952 ' Dunedin 10!50 / If the deaths per 1000 for the cities, including suburban boroughs, be compared for tlireo years, the figures aro as below. It will bo observed that tho rates for 1908 aro substantially lower than those for ■ 190", which last were, however, unusually high. . ~ , IMS., , 1907. 1908. Auckland 9.90 11.43 10.41 Wellington 9.19 11.28 9.10 Clii'istchureh ... 11.25 14.37 9.52 Dunedin 11.35 12.02 10.50 If the number of deaths of infants' under one year be excluded, the mortality among the rest of tho population is found to have been for 1907 and 1908 in the following ratio to tho 1000 living:— .

1907 - 1908. Auckland (including suburbs) ... 8.76 8.07 Wellington „ ... 8.08 6.83 Christchurcli „ ...10.52 7.GG Dunedin ' , • ... 9.60 8.G6 The degree of infantile mortality is perhaps best shown in the proportion of deaths of ohildren under one year of age to every 100 births. For 1907 and 1908 the proportion at the chief centres are:— 1907. 1908. Auckland (including suburbs) ... 9.72 8.19 Wellington „ ... 11,78 8.17 Christchurcli . „ ... 12.G2 6.78 Duncdin „ ... 9.51 7.45 Again, the percentaeo ,of /.deaths loft'oliildren under five to the total number of deaths' is:— Auckland, 28.89; in Christchurcli, 23.32; in Wellington, 30.70; in Dunedin, 21.92. Excluding suburbs, aud dealing with tlie deaths at all ages in the four cities or central boroughs only, 'the rates for 1908 are found to bo lower than ill the previous year, and also those for 1906. . The figures are':— 1906. • 1907. 1908. Auckland 12.51 13.38 12.43 Wellington ... 9.45 11,45 9.18 Christcnurcli ... 11.12 14.72 9.70 Dunedin ... ... 12.70 12.98 11.93 Omitting the deaths of infants under ono year, and calculating the rate on the population of one year of age and upwards, a decrease on the previous year is .shown at cach of the four centres (excluding suburbs). The mean rates for fivo years are also given:— Mean of 1907. ' 1908. Jive years. Auckland 10.57 10.11 9.83 Wellington ... '8.43 7.10, 7.88 Christcnurch ... 11.10 8.10 8.97 Dunedin ... ... 10.71 ' 10.13 ; 10.63 Subjoined is a tablo showing tho rates of infant mortality (i.e., deaths of children undor one year to every 100 births), in tho four cities (excluding suburbs) for each of the past two years, together with the mean rates for tho last five years:— Mean of 1907. 1008. Fivo years. Auckland 10.55 8.02 9.23 Wellington ' ... 11.85 . 8.24 9.35 Christchurcli ... 12.99 6.43 9.12