WESTERN SAMOAE POPULATION

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27405, 19 July 1954, Page 8

WESTERN SAMOAE POPULATION

24 Per Cent. Increase In Six Years RESULTS OF 1951 CENSUS RELEASED (New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, July » The population qensus in Westen Samoa, taken in September. shows that the population therej present has one of the highest rw of increase in the world. It coo double itself in less than one K® 3 ®' ation. . Complete results of the 1951 have just become available. Tn® ritory’s total populationon we « of the census was 84,909, oi wn® 80,153 were persons of Samoan sta The total was 24.5 per cent than that for the previous census * '1945. The population increase » Samoans only was 28.41 per cent, this was almost twice the mb corresponding rate or population crease. ~ More than 80 per cent, of the peg of. Samoan status were fully ate in their native tongue, ana ® than 17 per cent, could write w English language as well. & Samoan women were found to play a higher degree of literacy the men. This is a reversal or situation found generally in « developed countries. It is, explaw the fact that whereas boys re - quired to assist in the fainiiy P]. tions, the domestic duties P® n by girls are not so numerous or portant, and the girls arc; c«* quently allowed to attend senoa frequently and for a longer pen The important part that the cn > c or missions play in the social the Western Samoans isjndicairu. the fact that fewer than 200 baro did not state their religion u>U» , census in which the deciarau . religious denomination was optional. The great majority were aan« of the three oldest and mission. About 58 per ce to the London Missionan’ j. 19 and 16 per cent, to tne » Catholic and Methodist miss spectively.