MORE BIRTHS

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 126, 21 February 1941, Page 9

MORE BIRTHS

Substantial Increase In 1940 A sharp and encouraging rise in the birth-rate in New Zealand during 1940 is recorded by the Government Statistician in his review of last year's vital statistics. For the fifth year in succession, the birth-rate shows an increase over the previous year, on this occasion a very substantial one. The 1940 rate of 21.20 per thousand of population is the highest recorded since .1025, and the number of births registered 32,788, is easily the highest over recorded in Now Zealand, exceeding (he previous highest total (29,291 in 1920) by nearly 3000. The 19-10 figure is approximately 4000 above the total 28,833, for 1939. and it is of interest to note that, the number of births registered during the last six months of 19-10 exceeded the total for the first half of the year by The general death-rate, totalling 14.283. shows a very slight advance on the previous year’s figure of 11.158. This practically stationary position of Hie death-rate combined with the abnormal rise in the birth-rate has resulted in a natural increase rate of 11.9.> per 1000 of population, a total of 18.505, which is a substantial improvement on the 1939 figure of 9.53, and a total of 14,675. The number of deaths of infants under one year of age recorded tor 19-10 was 996, a figure 98 in excess of that for 1939. The much greater number of births io which this figure relates, however, has resulted in an in--I'olll mortality rale of only ti 11.38 per limo live births. a figure which represents ,-i new low rd l"r the liominiou. The rate for 1939 was 31.1 1