OUR POPULATION.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIV, Issue 54, 28 October 1912, Page 7

OUR POPULATION.

SOME INTERESTING FIGURES. The population of the Dominion wan estimated at 1,078,848 on December 31st, 1911, including Maoris and the Cook and other Pacific Islands’ population. The increase during the year Was 16,820. The natural increase by excess of births over deaths was 11,020, and the balance of 4200 represents the excess of arrivals over departures. . The natural - increase last year was equivalent to 16.57 per 1000 of mean population. The average rate of increase in the last ten years was 17.00 per 1000. The dominion stands high in the world in this respect, as is shown by the following table:— Country. Increase. New Zealand *(1097-11) 17.7 Australia (1906-10) ... ... 15.93 Denmark (1905-9) ... ... 14.23 Germany (1904-8) ... ... 14,15 England and Wales (1905-9) ... 11.58 Scotland (1905-9) ... ... 11.50 Italy (1905-9) 10.85 Switzerland (1904-8) ... ... 10.14 Ireland (1905-9) 6.13 Franco (1905-9) ... ... 0.53 The addition to the population by immigration was 4200 last year, and 3408 in 1910, and a table in the advance sheets of the Year Book shows that the gain in each of these years was smaller than in any other year since 1900. From 1892 to 1911 the dominion lias gained an average of 6299 persons by immigration, so that last year’s excess is much below the average. In .1893 the gain was 10,412, but during the next seven years it wasßess than 3000. The figures for the last 11 years are as followsl9ol, 6522; 1902, 7992; 1903, 11,275; 1904, 10,355; 1905, 9302; 1906, 12,848; 1907, 5730; 1908, 14,261; 1909, 4719; 1910, 3408; 1911, 4200. .m-.Actable showing the number of arrivals from and departures to various countries is interesting. “The external movement of population is greater with the Commonwealth of Australia,” the Government Statistician remarks, “but these ■miirtbers are inflated by the inclusion of many persons who sail from New Zealand for Australia to make that country a starting point for further travel, and who may or may not return by the same route. The real destination and original place of departure when returning is not ascertained in these cases.” Figures for the past two years arc given in the following table:— Arrivals. Departures. 1910 1911 1910 1911 United Kingdom 9,367 11,379 2,509 2,755 Australia 24,502 26,909 27,100 30,918 Other British Possessions 932 1,620 1,393 1,540 Foreign Countries DOS 1,481 1,356 1,976 Totals 35,769 41,389 32,361 37,189 Of the present inhabitants of Now Zealand, 702,779, equal to 69.71 per cent, are native born, and the birthplaces of the remainder' are as follow, the percentages being given in parenthesis:—Australia, 50,029 (4.97); England, 133,811 (13.28); Wales, 2206, (0.22); Scotland, 51,709 (5.13); Ireland, 40,958 (4.06); other British possessions, 5234 (0.52); total British, 936,720 (97.92) ; total foreign countries, 19,571 (1.94).; at sea' and not known, 2171 (0.14).