POPULATION GROWTH

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31539, 29 November 1967, Page 16

POPULATION GROWTH

Slower Rate Noticeable The rate of New Zealand’s population growth has slowed down considerably in the last three years, according to figures compiled by the Department of Statistics. The increase of 8646 for the three months to the end of September this year was 5990 less than the increase for that quarter of last year and 6549 less than the increase for the same quarter of 1965. At the end of September the population of New Zealand stood at 2,734,289. The increase for the quarter would have been greater if there had not been a net decrease of 343 resulting from migration and the movement of armed forces. Migration and armed forces movements accounted for increases of 6265 and 7500 in the same quarters of 1966 and 1965 respectively. The natural increase in population—the excess of births over deaths—was 8989 for the three months, compared with 8371 in the same period of 1966 and 8423 in 1965. The population total of 2,734,289 is closely divided between males and females. At the end of September the surplus of males was 4821, including 10 men on Kermadec Island and 10 men on Campbell Island. New Zealand territories in the Pacific—Niue Island and the Tokelau islands—have more than 7000 citizens. At June 30 this year there were 5232 persons on Niue Island and at September 24 last year there were 1900 persons on the Tokelaus.