Falling Birth-rate.

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 701, 10 November 1909, Page 6

Falling Birth-rate.

STARTLING FIGURES FOR SCOTLAND The returns issued by tun liegisttMr-Gr-iieial upon births, deaths aud marriages i« Scotland confirm mote and ui"ie the gruvkint: tendency on the part t>f leads of households to restrict the fiutilv circle. In 1007 there was a c- nttimed fall in the bhth-rate, which w;is the lowest vet lecmded. The births of 128,840 living children were registered in that year. These were 3,165 fewer than in the previous year, being below the aveiage of the past ten years, aid fewer than those registered in any year since 1895. The birth rate was "2(5.98 per 1,000, which is the fir-t below 27 per 1000 and the second below 28. Previous to 1894 it was regularly over 30 per 1000. The greatest decline was in the mainland rural districts, and the smallest decline in the large town districts. In the piincipal towns the birth-rate ranged from 35.08 in Hamilton to 21.71 in Edinburgh, 28.31 in Glasgow, and 27 37 in Leith. The ratio of male to female children was 104.7 to 100. The illegitimate births numbered 8,791, these being 515 fewer than in the pievious year, and 8 fewer than the average liurii.g the previous five years. Despite these astounding figures we are told that the marriages numbered 33,298, being 156 mors than in 1906. This is the largest number siiice the institution of national registration, the previous largest being in 1906, which was 33,142. The average age. cf the men was 29.0 and of the women 26.3, while the youngest bachelor married was 16, and the yfungest spinster 15. With reference to the death rate, it was slightly higher than that of the two previous years, but of all other years it was the lowest.