VITAL STATISTICS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1699, 15 March 1913, Page 22

VITAL STATISTICS.

BIRTHS & DEATHS IN THE CITIES PARTICULARS FOR 1912. The vital statistics of the four chief cities in the Dominion aro set forlh ( in detail in a return, prepared by tho Government Statistician (Mr. M. Iraser) njiich is printed in the current "Gazette. _ The estimated mean population ot Auckland city and its eight adjacent boroughs for 1912 is stated as 85,837. Births during tho year in the city and eight borough.s numbered 251(j, aiul deaths 835. lhu estimated population of tho other suburbs of Auckland,- 21.052, brings up the total mean ponulation of Greater Auckland during 1912 to 10(i,919. The estimated population of Greater Auckland on January 1, 1913, was 109,110 persons. The total moan population of Wellington city, ICarori, Onslow, and Miramar for 1912 is estimated at 71,200 persona. Births in the. city and four boroughs numbered 1957 during tho year, and deaths 050. Tho. total lßwin population of Greater Wellington for the year (including other suburbs) is estimated as 72,160. The estimated total population of Greater Wellington on January J, 1913, was 72,892 persons. ~ The estimated mean population of Christchurch and four adjacent boroughs during 1912 was 05,351 persons. Birtlu in the city and four boroughs during tho year numbered 1849, and deaths 070. The estimated mean population of Greater Christchurch (including other suburbs; during 1912 was 82,838. The estimated population of Greater Christchurch 1 on January 1, 1913, ; was 83,672 persons.

The estimated mean population of Dunedin 'and six adjacent boroughs during 1912 was 63,818 pejsons. Births in this area during the year numbered. 1732, and deaths 660. The estimated mean population of Greater Dunedin for the.year (including other suburbs) was 60,335 persons. The estimated population of Greater Dunedin on January 1, 1913, was 60,981 persons. The grand total of births in the four cities and their adjacent ; boroughs (excluding other suburbs) during the year was SOS-t and tho mean bdrth rate "was 28.24. The grand total of deaths in the four cities and their boroughs during - 1912 was 2827 and the mean death rate was 9.88. Births and Birth Rates. The total number of births, registered as occurring in tho four chief centres and suburbs in 1912 was 808-1, as against 7473 for the previous year:— The birth rates for last year were:— Birth rates per 1000 of mean population. Auckland City •, 30.63 and 8 suburban boroughs 29.66 Wellington City 28.20 . and 4 suburban boroughs 27.49 Christchurch City 29.52 "' and 4 suburban boroughs 28.29 Dunedin City 29.10 and 6 suburban boroughs 27.13 By the inclusion of the suburbs the rate is lowered at .each of tho four centres. Excluding the 1 suburbs, it will be observed that Auckland has tho highest rate, Christchurch next highest, - Dunedin and Wellington following. The birth rate for the Dominion last year was 26.48 per thousand. Auckland, Christchurch, Wcl- , lington, and Dunedin are thus over the average. . The birth rates for three "of tho central boroughs last year show an increase, when, compared with 1911. In Auckland tho rate rose from 30.03 to 30.63; in Wellington from 26.67 to 25.20; in Christchurch from 28.45 to 29.52; but in Dunedin it fell from 29.45 to 29.10. ..The rates per thousand of population for 1908, 1911,' and. 1912 are:— - 1903. 1911.' 1912. Auckland (without suburbs) 30.56 30.03 30.63 Wellington (without suburbs) 27.60 20.67 28.20 Christchurch (without suburbs) 28.43 28.45 29.52 Dunedin (without suburbs) 25.48 . 29.45 29,10 , Deaths and Death Rates ' Tho total number - of deaths registered for the four centres in 1912 was 2827— viz., 2175 in tho cities and 652 in the .suburbs. By : including the suburbs the death rato for last year is lowered at all of the four centres. The rates for the year are:— , Death rates per 1000 of mean population. Auckland City 11.65 ' and 8 suburban boroughs 9.73 Wellington City 9.43 and 4 suburban boroughs 9.13 Christchurch City 10.63 and 4 suburban boroughs . 10.34 Dunedin City 11.57 and G suburban boroughs , 10.43 Tho death rates per thousand of population in the four cities, and including suburban boroughs, for 1908, 1911, and 1912 are:— 1908. 1911. 1912. Auckland (including suburbs) •'.» 10.41 10.93 9.i3 Wellington (including suburbs) 9.10 10.08 9.13 Christchurch (including suburbs) ... 9.52 10.36 10.34 Dunedin (including . . suburbs) 10.50 10.43 10.43

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 1911 and 1912 in the following ratio to the 1000 living--lyn. jyjii. Auckland (including suburbs), 9.21 8.04 Wellington (inc., suburbs) ... 8.17 (.44 Christchurch (inc. suburbs 8.6( 8.65 Dunedin (including suburbs) . 9.28 _ 9.40 The degree of infantile mortality is perhaps best shown in - the proportion of deStlis of children under 1 year of age, to every 100 births.. For 1911 and 1912 the proportions at the,chief centres are:— 1911. 1912

Auckland (including suburbs) 6.30 5.70 Wellington (including suburbs) '-M b - 1,5 Christchurch (including suburbs) 6.29 6.00 Dunedin (including suburbs) 4.34 3.81 Again, the percentage of deaths of children ' under 5 to the total number of deaths is-Auckland, 20.72; Wellington, 21.69; Christchurch, 19.53; Dunedin, 13.51. Excluding suburbs, and dealing with the deaths at all ages in tho four cities or central boroughs only, the rates for 191,2 are found to be lower than in the previous year. The deaths per 1000 of population'in 1908, 1911, and 1912.are:— Auckland (excluding suburbs) ......... : 12.43 13.68 11.65 Wellington (excluding suburbs) ... , 9,-18 10.32 9.43 Christchuroh (excluding suburbs) 9.70 10,95 10.63 Dunedin (excluding suburbs) 11:93 11.79 11.57 Omitting the deaths .of infants -under one year, and calculating the rato on tho population of one year of age and'upwards, an increase is shown at each of tho four centres. The mean rates for fivo years aro also given. Deaths per 1000 population, excluding infants under ono year of age:— Mean of 5 1911. 1912.- years. Auckland (excluding suburbs) 11.98 9.95 10.21 Wellington (excluding suburbs) ... 8.60 7.95 7.66 Christchurch (excluding suburbs) 9.43 9.03 ' B.GB Dunedin (excluding ) suburbs) 10.84 10.79 10.27 Subjoined is a table showing the rates of infant mortality in the four cities for each of the past two years, together with tho mean, rates for the last five years. Deaths of children under one year to every 100 births:— Mean of fl 1911. 1912. years. Auckland (excluding suburbs) 6.56 6.55 7.6G Wellington (excluding suburbs) ... 7.31 6.06 7.50 Christchurch (excluding suburbs) 6.28 G. 32 6.43 Dunedin (excluding suburbs) 4.28 3.78 5.75 Figures For January. During January, 1913, the total births in the four - chief cities and their sub- | urban boroughs amounted to 653, against, j 615 in December—an increase of 38. The ! deaths in January were 218—an increase ; of 15 as compared with last month. Of ~ the total deaths, males contributed 119. fcnuUes 129. Fifty of the deaths were of children under five years of age. bein*: 20,16 tipv relit aT the whole .number; Id of thasfl were under ono year of aso. ,