EXPECTATION OF LIFE

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 117, 12 February 1944, Page 8

EXPECTATION OF LIFE

Longer In New Zealand

Than Elsewhere

FIGURES PREPARED BY LEAGUE OF NATIONS

A recent cable message from New York giving ft summary of expectatiou-of-life tables prepared by the League of Nations Office was referred to yesterday by the Minister in charge of the Registrar-General’s Department, Mr. Parry. The tables, which credited the people of the Dominion. with having the longest expectation of life of any nationality in the world, showed that a man in New Zealand lived onthe average 69.46 years and n woman 66 92 years. The Minister said there were a number of matters which had to be borne in mind to view the figures o.i the League of Nations Office in thei” proper proportions. Certain factors had to be considered, such as the death rate, particularly in regard to infant mortality, and the birth-rate, which had a direct bearing on the resulting figures in the expectation-of-life tables. ' A very interesting and informative report on the figures of the League ol Nations Office, the Minister said, had been furnished bv the Registrar-General. Mr. B. L. Dallard. in collaboration with the Government Statistician. Mr. J. " . Butcher. The report showed that New Zealand had been noted for many years for its favourable death-rate. In the earlv history of the country the high proportion of immigrants to total population had contributed very materially toward the establishment of a comparatively low death-rate. The favourable climate of the country had always been an important factor contributing to a relatively low death-rate, while the high efficiency of health services had assisted considerably toward maintaining the Dominion’s enviable record in respect of its death-rate. , , j In infant mortality New Zealand had the lowest rate iu the world, a fact attributable partly to such matters as climate, virility of the race, comparative absence of densely settled areas, and partly to legislative _ and educative measures, the latter being conducted by the State as well as by various organizations. A great deal of the success achieved in that direction had been due to the activities of the Royal New Zealand Society for the Health of Women and Children. Founded in Dunedin in 1907. that society had since extended its Plunket system throughout New Zealand, and its methods were being adopted to an ever-increasing extent in other countries. Infant Mortality Rate. The Minister said that taking as a guide the five-year period of 1936-1940, the infant mortality rate in New Zealand, deaths under one year per 1000 births, was 32. For the latest available quinquennial period iu the other countries mentioned the figures given were as follows: Australia 39, England and Wales 55, America 56, Germany 65, France 67, Rusisa not available, Japan 114, India 169.

The reports well illustrated that in any country the highest proportion of deaths estimated in age groups occurred in respect of the group under one year, and the next highest iu the group one to five years, so that it would be appreciated that the fact New Zealand had by far the- lowest mortality rates in that respect had a direct bearing on the expectation of life table based as at birth. It had to be admitted that in other comparable countries, such as America, the expectation of life iu other age groups—say, based at, the age of 20—might be as high as in New Zealand. The report before him pointed out that since 1870 there had been a marked decline in the. birth-rate in New Zealand, but it had appeared to reach its lowest ebb in 1935, since, when there had been a small, but steady annual increase, and in 1940, partly no doubt as a result of the war, there had been a marked improvement. The initial effect of a falling birth-rate was to lower the death-rate, the age constitution of the population being more favourable toward a low death-rate since there were fewer infants nnd a relatively higher ratio of persons of the younger adult ages. That had to be accepted as one of the factors contributing to New Zealand's very low death-rate and correspondingly high expectation of life. “A factor largely responsible for our position at the head of the list of countries today.” the Minister added, “is that we look after our babies. In that way we are' entitled to say, ‘We lead the world.’ There is no. doubt the Government’s present policy of caring for the proper nurture of children throughout their growing life by such expedients as milk in schools, distribution of fruit, better housing, and the encouragement of recreational facilities, must make for the development of a more virile people whose expectation of life would be higher. In addition to this it is equally inevitable that freedom from anxiety and the greater comfort and medical care during the eveniug years of life, as the result of social security benefits, must, also conduce to longevity. Though sufficient time has not yet elapsed for the full effect of these amenities to be reflected in the statistics, the figures for the future should be even better than those published by the League of Nations Office.”