DECLINING BIRTH RATES

Dominion, Volume 23, Issue 104, 27 January 1930, Page 10

DECLINING BIRTH RATES

Quite credible in view of the post-war trend is a London report that the English birth-rate is now probably the lowest in the world. Figures taken over a period of five years show the rate for England and Wales as lower than that of, any other country except Sweden. Even France returns a higher rate, a fact that will surprise many people who have become ac.customed to regard the French as the worst example of race suicide. Not so easy to accept is the cabled statement that “the English birth-rate is now below the figure which statisticians estimate to be necessary to maintain the population at its present strength.” To substantiate that report, either the birth-rate must have suffered further drastic reduction or the death-rate risen alarmingly. In 1928 the net increase per thousand was 5, the birth and death-rates being 16.7 and 11.7 respectively. It is incredible that in a single year the margin of five could be reduced to a minus quantity. This margin of births over deaths is what is most important. In France, although there is a higher birth-rate than in England, there is also a higher death-rate, so that the net increase is much lower, being 1.7 against 5 per thousand. New Zealand, to take another instance, has a birth-rate very little higher than -England or France, but boasts the comparatively high rate of natural increase of 12.3. The gain has been made by reducing the death-rate to the lowest figure in the world. At the same time 'there must be misgiving at the progressive, reduction in birth-rates among white races. Were it not for the spectre of unemployment, no doubt more would be heard of it. Even so, the decrease of New Zealand’s rate from; 40 to 20 in fifty years is not a return to regard with complacency, especially as the rate of natural increase has fallen in the same period from, 29 to 12.