N.Z. STATISTICS

Hokitika Guardian, 15 March 1929, Page 8

N.Z. STATISTICS

RECORD LOW BIRTH-RATE. FIGURES FOR 1928. LOWEST DEATH-RATE IN WORLD. No cessation- of the annual decline in the number of births registered in the Dominion of New Zealand was witnessed for the year 1928,_ (says the latest abstract of statistics). The actual number recorded was 27,200, this figure being the lowest since 1919. and 681 below the total for 1927. The registrations consisted of 14,082 males and 13,118 females. Included in the total of 27,200 were 1383 illegitimate births, this number being equal !o 5.08 per cent of the total births. The births of 273 cases of twins (including 16 illegitimate cases) and 4 cases oi triplets were recorded during the year. Coinciding with the fall in the total births recorded, the birth-rate during 1928 fell to the unprecedentl > low level of 19.56 per 1000 of the mean population. This figure com pares with 20.29 lor 1927, a decline of 3.59 per cent. There is one pleasing aspect of the 1928 birth statistics and that is tin decrease in the number of still-births registered. In 1927 the number of still-births was 878, while in 1928 only 839 were recorded, a decrease ol 39. The percentage of still-births to living births also shows a decrease the figures for 1927 and 1928 beinr 3.15 and 3.08 per cent respectively The actual number of still-births re gistered during 1928 is the lowest ex perienced since 1919, when the number was only 6SO, but the percentag< of. still-births to living births walower than the 1928 figure as recently as 1925, when it stood at 3.06 pc l cent. Among the 839 still-births re gisterd in 1928 were 5 cases of twins whilst 44 of the total number wen illegitimate. MARRIAGES. The number of marriages cclebrat ed during 1928 was 10,560, this num ber being 82 more than the total fot the previous year. With the exception of the war-period, when the num her of marriages was naturally far below tlie average, the marriage-rate foi 1928 of 7.59 per iDOO of mean popu lation is the lowest recorded sin’' 1899, and is 0.03 per 1000 lower than the rate for 1927 (7.62). The abov' figures of marriages are subject t< very slight variation. DEATHS. Deaths registered during 1928 num bored 198 more than in 1927. In creased prevalence of such diseases a scarlet fever, diphtheria, and influenza contributed towards the slightly higner total attained. The death-rate reflects to a minor extent the rise in the total deaths recorded, the figure.--for 1927 and 1928 being 8.45 and 8.49 per 1000 of mean population re spectively. The total of 11,811 death: registered during 1928 includes, males and 5256 females. INFANT MORTALITY. Offsetting the continuous decline in the birth-rate to a considerable ex tent in New Zealand is tho excellent record maintained in the preservation of infant life, as reflected in the extremely low level of the infant-mor-tality rate annually recorded. Only 984 deaths of infants under one jvai of age were registered in tho Dominion during 1928, this being a reduction of 96 over 1927. The improvement thus effected is shown to Utter advantage in the infant-mortality raW per 1000 live births, which in 192-S reached the phenomenally low figure of 36.18, as compared with 38.74 ro> 1927. The inclusion of still-birth-would bring the total births for 1928 to 28,039, and the total infant deaths to 1823. Thus what might bo term ed the true infant-mortality rate works out at 05.02 per 1000 birthEven this figure is gratifying from a comparative point of view, as anothe--new low record is established thereby This figure compares with 68.01 per 1000 births for the previous year. A WORLD COMPARISON. In a table covering the averagrates of bitrhs, marriages, deaths, and ; infant mortality for the latest trien nium for which information is avail able in 25 selected countries. Nov Zealand’s position is far from unsatisfactory in most respects. Although well down the list as regards the birth-rate, there are nevertheless nine other countries among those shown which record a lower birth-rate. A much better picture is presented in the realm of death statistics, as he-c Now Zealand leads the world, Australia being second.