THE CENSUS.

Press, Volume LXII, Issue 18723, 21 June 1926, Page 10

THE CENSUS.

BIG INCREASE IN POPULATION. ! (r£E9S ASSOCIATION lELEGBAM.) "WELLINGTON, June 19. The very complete arrangements made for the taking of the Census of j the Dominion, and for the computation i'of the results, enabled the' Government i' Statistician (Mr Malcolm leaser) to hand to the Minister for Internal Affairs (the Hon. It. F." Bollard) to-day 'the preliminary totals. The returns 'show that the total population of New j. Zealand, inclusive of ■ Maoris and exi elusive of Western Samoa and the : coolc and other Islands, to be i 1,407,165 ami 1,3-14,331 ■excluding I Maoris. • • ... A survey of the figures of the returns I makes 'interesting reading. It _is shown that there are in the Dominion 656 947 males and 657,4-37 females, and iof Maoris 32,730 males and 30,051 females. The total increase in population sinco the previous Census taken on April 17th, 1921, is recorded as 135,501 including Maoris, and as ' 129,707 excluding Maoris. This latter is tho greatest intercensal gain ever i experienced in New Zealand in point i. of absolute numbers; relatively it has frequently lieen exceeded. Tlie increase of 129,707 represents , a gain of •10 68 per cent, on tho population, in 11921. " North and South Islands. . The agreat bulk of the'population in-crease-went to tho North Island. , The figures,.inclusive.of Maoris, are:— I' . , 1921- , -l'opul'tn. Inc. 1926 N Island 891,970 100,052 12:64 S. Island ' 515,195 • '35,449 7.39 Dominion 1,407,165' 135,501 10.63 The North Island now contains 63 per cent, of the Dominion's inhabitants; the South Island possesses 37. per cent. From. 1861 up to: 1901 the South Island contained .tho majority of the population. Prior to 1861, ai)d from 1901 onwards the North Island predominated in this respect, and is steadily increasing the margin, as the undermentioned figures exhibit — fV-nciVa N. Island. S. Island.

Maori Population. ' The' data-quoted for Maoris, -which incidentally' covers half-castes .a& . well as those of the full blood, disclose a very satisfactory _ increase in the num bers of the Native race. Tho Maori population in 1921 was enumerated' as 56,087. The current Census gives a total of -62,781, representing a numeri-, cal gain .of 5794 and a .percentage gain, of 10.17. The great majority of Maoris are North Island Residents, the Northern Island claiming-< 30,222, as> against the South's. 2559. Maori males outnumbered females by, 2679. Sex Proportions. ! Males in : tlie ' population (excluding | Maoris)' are still' in. the majority, and : outnumber females .by 29,510. The "masculinity" of the population ; is usually expressed in; terms of "females per 1000 males," and,recent

As the period. 191G-1921 covers the return of the majority of of the Expeditionary : F6rces, its record has obviously been, .well surpassed by , that ' of the current inter-censal interval..

ensns. 1901 : i>. isianu. . I.. 50.55 o; 1S1UIIU. 49.45 1906 ... 53.65 ■ 46.35 1011 ... 5-7.90 44.10 19.16 ... 59.22 40.78 1921 60.81- . 39.19 1926 • V.. 63.39' 36.61

Census' experience is quoted , on that basis. • Females per / Census! 10£)0 Males. 1901 .... 903 . , . .1906 '887' ' 1911 ... . -v.'-. ,.1 89.6 , , 1916 , ...993 1921 " ' .. ' ' .. 9oC' . 1926 ... , . v 957 Mr Bollard said: that he ;frad asked the Government Statistician to supply. him with the.figures for the last six Censuses, excluding Maoris, and Mr' Fraser had reported,as follows:— N umerical.. Percentage •Period. Increase. Increase. 1921-1926 .. 129,707 10.65 ■ 1916-1921 10.87 • 1911-1916 ' i... . 90,981 . :,.9.02 : . 1906-1911 119,890 1349 ; 1901-1906 .. 115,859 14.99 ' ' 1896-1901 : .. 69,3.59 . 9.86 i km /*' -i Am _ - xi.«