The Chronicle LEVIN. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 1, 1916. NEW ZEALAND'S POPULATION.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 1 March 1916, Page 2

The Chronicle LEVIN. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 1, 1916. NEW ZEALAND'S POPULATION.

Although Mew Zealand loot in population during the yvar 1915, througn ixt'esis oi omigiation, the uniscs are so well knowu as to need no elaboration ; briefly put, the despatch oi t,ious;\ißls of our men to Europe, on active service, caused tiie abnormal emigration, Apart from this loss of population, Mow Zea-laua's population increased considerably during 1910, and her gains from excess of births over deaths numbered 17/JlO. Tlie population of tlie dominion on 31st December was estimated at 1,105,207, inclusive of .Maoris and the residents of the outer isles. In tiie figures given above there are included the Chinese population ol the dominion, estimated to be 2,171. ol whom 120 were females. Excluding Maoris the population increased l>y 6891 or at the rate of 0.62 per cent during the year. Excess of births over deaths contribated 17,91(3 extra persons to Llie total, but the departure of the Expeditionary l'orces for the trout caused a net 'nigra turn decrease of 11,085. The number of bii ths registered "during lDlo (27,882) was less tlian that for 191 i (28,338) by 456, and the rate was only 25.30 per IUOO as against 25.99. i ; ie birth rate in 1915 is ilie second tow .;t in the history of Mew Zealand, the lowest rate (25.12) having been recorded in 1899. The deaths 'in 1915 (9966) were le.-s than the number registered in 1911 (10,148) by lß2;and tin? rate per 1000 fell from 9.311 to -.9.U0. 'lhe number of marriages (excluding those contracted by Maoris) solemnized in 1915 is estimated at 10,073, giving a rate of 9.10 per 1000 of the mean population, against 9.280 and 8.51, the actual number and rate in 1914. The estimate for 1916 is subject to revision and the final figures cannot be giv vi until the returns come to land; t I, unless a considerable reduction requn to be made, the rate for the year w;i' be found to be higher than in at y year since 1868.