Illegitimacy Rate Assessed

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31676, 11 May 1968, Page 21

Illegitimacy Rate Assessed

Th* abnormally large increase in illegitimate births as a proportion of total live births in recent years is largely because of the fall of the legitimate birth rates, says the Government Statistician (Mr J. V. T. Baker) in a supplement to the monthly abstract of statistics. Illegitimate births, as a proportion of live births, rose from 8.05 per cent in 1982 to 10.89 per cent in 1905, an increase, of 35 per cent in this proportion. Mr Baker reports that a survey made by his department showed about 11 per cent of this 35 per cent was caused by intrinsic increases between 1902 and 1905 in Ulegitimate birthrates. Approximately 24 per cent of the 35 per cent increase

was because of an intrinsic fall in legitimate birth-rates The report contains tables which show increases in illegitimate birth-rates in age groups of mothers and equally clearly show the decline in legitimate births in the same period. Reasons For Fall Professor G. P. Braae, associate professor of economics at the University of Auckland, has also been investigating the falling birth-rate in New Zealand. In an article in the latest issue of “New Zealand Economic Papers,” journal of the New Zealand Association of Economists, he says that the birth-rate was stable

from 1949 to 1961, fluctuating in a narrow range of 25.6 ,to 27.0 births a 1000 of mean population. Professor Braae says that tbs birth-rate for both Euro-

peans and Maoris has fallen steadily from 1901, to 22.7 in 1965, the total number of births falling from 65,470 in 1081, to 60,179 in 1965.

He also says that the number of Illegitimate births has risen steadily in the same period, but comments that about one-sixth of these births were subsequently legitimised by marriage of the parents. After an examination of the age groups (15 to 45 and 15-35) of girls and women, Professor Braae demonstrates that there has been a heavy fall in the propensity to have children between 1961 and 1965. He says that the previous heavy fall occurred in the 1930* and was associated with tiie economic depression and falling marriage rates.

Seeking the reasons for the current fall, Professor Braae suggests two factors which might have some connection. The first is the oral contra-

ceptive pill, and the second the rise in the number of married women of reproductive age engaged in full-time work.

He says that the use of the pill is fairly widespread in New Zealand, and surveys show that it has grown rapidly, from 30,000 women users in 1963 to some 120,000 in 1965.

Professor Braae also says that the proportion of married women (up to the age of 45) in the labour force had risen from 12 per cent in 1951 to 17 per cent in 1961. “It seems likely that there will be a continued slowing down of the population increase, especially from natural increase, although increased immigration may offset this,” he says.