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Hokitika Guardian, 7 September 1932, Page 4

Tkk report on vital statistics of New Zealand for the year 1931 states the total of 36,622 births during the year was comprised of 13,766 males and 12,856 females. With the exception of one year there has always been a preponderance of males in the number of children born in New Zealand. . .

Counting only cases where: both children were horn: alive there were 288 cases of twin births (576 children) in 1931. On the average, one mother in every' ninety-one gave birth . to twins qj* triplets. In 101 cases of twin births both children were males and in eighty-nine both female, the children being of opposite sex in the remaining ninety-eight cases. In the one case of triplets all three were females. Following on a slight 'increase in the previous year the number of live births registered ini 1931 continued on the downward trend in evidence for many years, with a total of 26,622, representing a decrease of 175. The birth rate, which has shown an untemipted decline since 1920, reached the lowest level on record with -a figure of 18.42 per 1000 of, mean population. ... Expressed in a more effective way, if the rate obtaining in 1882 had' been recorded m -1931 on the present papulation, there' would have been approximately 53,923 children born in the Dominion instead of only 26,622 —a discrepancy of 27,301. The Maori birth rate in every year is considerably higher than the European rate, and for the year 1931, phenomenally so, registering as it does a remarkable increase over the previous year, in contrast to the constantly declining trend of the European birth-rate. The number 'of marriages in New Zealand during 193] was 9817, this total representing the enormous decrease o<f| 1258 as compared with the previous year, and reflecting in no small measure the economic condition of the country;The marriage bate of 6;79 per 1000 'of' mean population is the lowest record'' 1 ' 1 since the war years. Of the 19,634 persons married, 2318, or 12 per cent., were under twenty-one y ears of age, 12,360, or 63 per cent., were returned at twenty-one and under thirty; 3161, or 10 per cent., as thirty and under forty, and 1795, or 9 per cent., as forty or over. Of the bridegrooms, one was between sixteen and seventeen, six were between seventeen and eighteen, and forty-one. between eighteen and nineteen. Of the brides, twe mere between fourteen; and fifteen and fifteen between fifteen and sixteen.