N.Z. Is Becoming A Women's World

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30368, 18 February 1964, Page 19

N.Z. Is Becoming A Women's World

(New Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON. Feb. 17. I New Zealand has always had the reputation of being a man’s country, at least in the sense that the number of males exceeded the number of females, but the 1961 census results show that the females are rapidly catching up. The second volume of the 1961 census results, “ages and marital status.” just issued by the Department of Statistics shows that in 1961 there were 99 females to every 100 males, which suggests that the numerical equality of the sexes may be achieved by the time of the next census in 1966. There are marked differences in sex distribution in the various age groups. Statistics of the 18 urban areas show that among children of nine years and under there are 96 girls to every 100 boys, but among people of 60 years and above the ratio is 133 women to 100 men. From 10 to 19 sexes are equal, while in the 20-29 age group, women outnumber the men by 102 to every 100. Bachelors The census shows that there were 212,976 bachelors in

1961, compared with 159.086 spinsters, but the surplus of bachelors is somewhat deceptive.

On the average. New Zealand men generally marry women three years younger than themselves, which means that some of them will marry girls who were still at school at census date. Widows, some of whom will certainly remarry, outnumber widowers by more than 60.000. Bachelors seem to congregate in the country, where there are 49 spinsters to every 100 bachelors, compared with 91-100 in the cities.

As a community. New Zealanders are getting younger. In 1961 the average age was 30.6, as against 31.1 in 1956. Approximately 33 out of every 100 are under 15 years, while 72 out of every 100 are below 45. The Maori population, with a birthrate almost twice as high as the European, is even younger. Out of every 100 Maoris. 49 are below 15, and no less than 89 under 45.