H.—3l

Comparative Death-rate for the Period 1895 to 1905.

• Excluding the Northern Territory. In this statement New Zealand is conspicuous as showing the lowest death-rate. The rates for the principal Australian States are a little higher, but, generally speaking, far below those for the United Kingdom, or the European Continental States mentioned in the table. Perfect accuracy in comparing one country or colony with another can only be attained by the use of what is termed an " index of mortality." The proportions of the living vary in regard to the different agegroups, and the ordinary death-rate—which is calculated on the population as a whole—does not afford a true means of judging ot the relative healthiness of the places compared. But by taking a population like that ot Sweden, and applying the percentage at each age-group to the death-rates, a standard of health or index of mortality can be arrived at. This has been done for New Zealand, m accordance with a resolution of the Statistical Conference held at Hobart in 1902, and the result is expressed in tabular form.

Index of Mortality in New Zealand for 1905.

A similar calculation for the States of the Australian Commonwealth has been made for 1904. The results, when compared with the actual rates, exhibit to what degree the age-constitution of the population affects the death-rate. The figures for New Zealand are also given. r r Year 1904. Index. Aotual. Queensland 18-28 1001 New South Wales 14-10 I<>62 Victoria 14 " 29 n ' 92 South Australia 1332 10-22 Western Australia ... ... ••• ••• ••• 15-bO 11-yi Tasmania }£&> U -0 * New Zealand 12-04 957 (1905) 11-85 927 Deaths and Death-rates of the Four Principal Cities and their Suburbs. In the earlier annual reports on the vital statistics of the four chief towns the central boroughs alone were dealt with, particulars respecting the suburbs not having been obtained. But this omission was held to be a grave defect, as the suburban death-rate may differ much from the death-rate at the

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1896. 1897. 1898. 1899. 1900. 1901. 1902. 1903. 1904. 1905. Country. 1895. New Zealand Queensland . . New South Wales Victoria South Australia* Western Australia Tasmania England and Wales Scotland Ireland 991 11-38 11-79 13-25 11-25 17-78 11-38 18-7 19-4 18-4 16-8 15-7 15-2 27-7 29-7 19-1 22-1 18-6 22-2 25-0 9-10 12-10 12-30 13-35 11-48 16-45 11-63 170 16-6 16-6 15-6 15-2 15-6 26-4 28-9 17-7 20-8 17-2 20-0 24-0 914 11-33 10-88 12-90 11-24 16-97 11-53 17-4 18-4 18-4 16-5 15-3 15-4 25-6 28-5 17-6 21-3 16-9 19-5 21-9 9-84 12-66 12-48 15-94 1306 16.05 13-51 17-5 18-0 18-1 15-5 15-3 15-1 24-9 28-0 18-2 20-5 17-0 20-9 22-9 10-24 12-07 11-82 14-28 12-14 13-76 12-25 18-2 18-1 17-6 17-3 16-9 17-7 25-4 27-2 17-6 21-5 17-1 21-1 21-8 943 11-73 11-16 12-75 1064 12-92 11 05 18.2 18-5 19-6 16-9 15-9 16-8 25-2 26-9 19-3 22-1 17-8 21-9 23-8 9-81 11-88 11-68 13-22 1111 1336 10-45 16-9 18-0 17-8 15-8 14-9 160 24-2 25-4 180 207 17-2 201 21-9 10-50; 12-08 11-95 13-40 11-79 13-63 10-84 16-2 17-2 175 14-6 13-9 15-4 24-7 27-0 17-2 19-4 16-3 19-5 22-1 10-40 12-38 11-59 12-90 10-71 12-60 11-92 15-4 16-6 17-5 14-6 14-8 151 9-57 1011 10-62 11-92 10-22 11-91 1101 9-27 10-13 12-10 1014 10-83 10-23 Denmark Norway Sweden Austria Hungary Switzerland German Empire ... Netherlands France Italy 26-1 17-6 15-6 19-2 22-2

Ages. Estimated | Mean Population, 1905. Number of Deaths, 1905. I Death- Percentage of Index of rate Population Mortality in per 1,000, J of Sweden, 1890 New Zealand 1905. (Standard). per 1,000. Jnder 1 year . and under 20 years ... !0 and under 40 years :0 and under 60 years >0 "years and upwards ... 20,706 365,226 286,491 138,765 58,812 1,599 867 1,242 1,271 3,082 77-22 2-37 4-34 9'16 52-40 . 2-55 39-80 26-96 19-23 11-46 1-97 0-94 1-17 1-76 601 Totals 870,000 8,061 9-27 10000 11-85