17

H.—3l

The average age at death of persons of either sex, in each of the ten years 1901-10, was as follows : — Males. Females. Males. Females. 1901 ... 41-64 vears 3768 vears. 1906 ... 4439 vears 39-35 years. 1902 ... 4107 „ 34-88 „ 1907 ... 40-43' „ 3666 „ 1903 ... 39-56 „ 35-43 „ 1908 ... 42-50 ~ 3914 „ 1904 ... 41-47 „ 38-44 „ 1909 ... 42-76 „ 3878 „ 1905 ... 43-03 „ 39-13 „ 1910 ... 44-47 „ 4225 „ Deaths and Death-rates in the Four Chief Cities and their Suburbs. The total number of deaths registered for the four centres in 1910 was 2,791 —-viz., 2,284 in the cities, and 507 in the suburbs. By including the suburbs the death-rate for last year is lowered at all of the four centres. The rates for the year are : — Death-rates per 1,000 of Mean Population. Auckland City ... ... ... ... ... 11-88 „ and seven suburban boroughs ... ... 9-73 Wellington City ... ... ... ... ... 9-31 „ and three suburban boroughs ... ... 8*95 Christchurch City ... ... ... ... ... 10-54 „ and three suburban boroughs ... ... 10-41 Dunedin City ... ... ... ... ... 1099 „ and five suburban boroughs ... ... 10*24 The death-rates for the cities, including suburban boroughs, for five years are as below : — , ■ Deaths per 1,000 of Population. , 1906. 1907. 1908. 1909. 1910. Auckland (including suburbs) 9-90 11-43 10-41 9-30 9-73 Wellington „ 9-19 11-28 9-10 9-11 8.95 Christchurch „ 11-25 14-37 952 933 1041 Dunedin „ 11-35 12-02 1050 9-95 10-24 If the number of deaths of infants under one year be excluded, the mortality among the rest of the population is found to have been for 1909 and 1910 in the following ratio to the 1,000 living:— 1909. 1910. Auckland (including suburbs) ... ... ... ... 7*60 767 Wellington „ ... ... ... ... 6-89 6-91 Christchurch „ ... ... ... ... 7-60 8-62 Dunedin „ ... ... ... ... 867 8*24 Infantile Mortality. Subjoined is a classified statement of the deaths of infants under one year during 1910, with the ratio of the deaths in each class to the 1,000 births during the year : —

Seventy-three out of every thousand of male children born, and sixty-one of every thousand females, are found to have died before attaining the age of one year. The mortality was thus one in fourteen of male children and one in sixteen of females in New Zealand, where conditions are far more favourable to infant life than in Australia, at least as far as relates to the cities. It will also be seen from the figures that the chances of living during the first year of age are greater for female than for male infants. Thus, during the year 1910 there were — 100 deaths of males to 7(1 deaths of females under I month of age; 100 ~ 73 ~ from 1 to 3 months of age; 100 ~ 109 .. from 3 to 6 months of age; 100 .. 85 .. from 6 to 12 months of age; 100 ~ 83 ~ under 12 months of age. Dealing with the result for ten years, the deaths of infants under one year are in the large proportion of three-fourths of the total deaths under five, as might be expected, the first year being the tenderest period. (See notes to tables.)

3—H. 31.

Yeai Year. il. Sex. Sex. i * 8 and under 3 under G Montn * Months, j Months. undeTia i "fgw "rt" Months. ! 12 Manth8 ' 910 I Male ( Female Number of Deaths. 459 177 165 327 121 168 I 191 992 152 768 Deaths to the 1,000 Births. 910 ... | Male \ Female ... I 34-15 1317 12-27 26-07 . 9-65 13-39 14*21 | 73*80 12-12 61-23