WORLD'S LOWEST RATE.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 61, 13 March 1929, Page 11

WORLD'S LOWEST RATE.

INFANT MORTALITY FIGURES. DOMINION , IN LEAD. I IMPROVEMEN-γ CONTINUES. Offsetting the continuous decline in "the birth-rate to a considerable extent in New Zealand is the excellent record jnaintainecl in the preservation of infant life, as reflected in the extremely lowlevel of the infant mortality rate annually recorded. Only 984 deaths of infant 3 under one year were registered in the Dominion in 1928, and the Abstract of Statistics for February states that this ia a reduction of 96 as compared with 1927. This improvement is shown to better advantage in the infant mortality rate, which in 1928 reached the phenomenally low figure of 36.18 as compared with 38.74 ior 1927. New Zealand In comparison with 25 selected countries of the world in regard to vital statistics i 3 far from unsatisfactory in most respects. Although wefl down the list a3 regards ■the birth-rate, there are, nevertheless, nine other countries which record a lower birth-rate. The Dominion had 20.3 births for every 1000 of population, compared with 42.9 for Egypt, which topped the list, and 16.8 ior Sweden, -which had the lowest birth-rate. A much better picture in the international comparison is presented in the table of death statistics, as here New Zealand leads the world with a percentage of .80. Australia is second, with .94 per cent. It is from the aspect ol infant mortality that New Zealand shows to the greatest advantage, as there U no other country quoted in the comparison that approaches anywhere near the low rate of infant moitality 38.2 for every 1000 births recorded for New Zealand. The marriage rate for the Dominion, thmish not highly satisfactory, is still in good position internationally, as- nc fewer than 10 of the other leountriee shown have a lower rate.