BIRTHS AND DEATHS.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVIII, Issue 37, 12 February 1917, Page 6

BIRTHS AND DEATHS.

9 LAST YEAR'S TOTALS. SATISFACTORY MARGIN OF BIRTHS. (By Telegraph.—Special to "Star.") | WELLINGTON, this day. If the preliminary figures in regard to birth and death rates for the four chief i centres of the Dominion are a good index to the complete figures for New Zealand now in preparation, the year 1916 was very satisfactory from the view-point of natural increase in population. The deaths totalled 3,275 in the four chief centres and suburbs, the births 7,544 or 4,269 in excess of the deaths. Details are as follows:— Births. Deaths. Auckland and suburbs . 2132 -098 Wellington anil suburb* 1050 75S Christchurch and suburb- l<>fU "«R Dunedin and suburbs .. 14!1S 753 Compared with the births for the previous year, an increase of 235 in the total is apparent. On a percentage f rate per thousand of population, Wellington has the highest rate, Auckland next highest, Christchurch and Dunedin following. To ascertain the rate of infant mortality, the Government Statistician gives the death-rate per thousand population of children under one year. Wellington still maintains the best position. the percentages for the four chief centrebeing as follows: — 1015. 1916. Auckland (excluding suburbs) 9.09 11.10 Wellington (excluding unburns) 10.02 9.73 Christchurch (excluding suburbs) . 9.5S 11.14 Dunedin (excluding suburbs) 11.58 12.37 As the full vital statistics are not yet available, it is not possible to make comparisons in regard to the death rates, except to state that the rate has gone up slightly> in three centres, and down in Wellington. Among the 3,275 deaths in the four centres were 218 from various forms of tuberculosis, 64 from cancer, 17 from alcoholism, 30 from meningitis, 9 from cerebro-spinal meningitis, 10 from infantile paralysis, 175 from apoplexy, 449 from heart dieease, and 159 from violence, including 35 suicides.