CHILDREN UNDER FIVE

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28620, 24 June 1958, Page 14

CHILDREN UNDER FIVE

High Percentage Of Population

The continued relatively high New Zealand birthrates in the years 1953-57 are reflected in the greater numbers in the under five years age group at the end of last year, according to the latest abstract of statistics.

With the estimated age-struc-ture of New Zealand’s population in five-yearly age groups. 241.000 of the European population of 2.117.000 or more than 11 per cent., were under five.

Of the total Maori population of 146,000 an estimated 28,000. or more than 19 per cent., were under five.

The comparative youthfulness of the Maori population compared with the European is shown in that of the 146,000, there were 87.000, or 60 per cent., under 21 and 59.000, or 40 per cent,, 21 and over. Of the European population of 2,117,000 there were 835,000, or 39 per cent, under 21 and 1,282,000. or 61 per cent.. 21 and over.

A feature of the age groups ot 60 or more is the higher number of women compared with men Figures for Europeans show that there were 24,000 more women than men in this group. This contrasts with an excess of 17.000 males in the age group of under 21.

In 1957 continental Antarctica became the world’s major laboratory for the study of man’s adaptation to cold. Teams of physicians and scientists are evaluating on the spot the physiologic stresses of various environmental situations, such as work at altitudes ot 10,000 feet on the polar plateau. Accidents have proved to be the major medical problemeven occurring more often than frostbite, in spite of temperatures of -70 degrees.