AUSTRALIA'S POPULATION

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 154, 27 December 1924, Page 16

AUSTRALIA'S POPULATION

The annual bulletin dealing with the population of Australia has been issued by the Commonwealth. Statistician (Mr. C. H. Wickens). The bulletin (reports the Melbourne "Argus") relates particularly to the year 1923, but much information covering. the period 1911-1923 is also given. During the ten years which elapsed from the beginning of 1914 to the end of 1923 the population of Australia, increased by 856,C<>6 persons, the population at the cud of last year being 6,749,807 persons. The rate of increase in population; over the 15 years to the end of last year was 2 per cent. a. year. I£ the increase is maintained' at this rate the population will reach 6 OCO - 000 early in 1926, and will doublo every 35 years. In 105 years it will reach 45,000,000 persons. During the last ten years 92: per cent, in- the increase in (ippulation has been due to natural increase, and the remaining 8 per cent, to' immigration; .

During 1923 135,222 births were reported, compared with 137,498 in 1922. The bu-thrato was 23.77 per 1000 of the population. Though tho birth rate is low compared with that of other countries, tho death rate in Australia, is also very low, with' the result' that the rate of natural increase is higher than that la most other countries. The figures show that among very yotme mothers there was-one aaed 12 years six aged 13 years, 27 aged"l 4 years, and 83 aged 15 years. There were 6276 ex-nup-tiat births reported, representing 4 64 per cent. iof -the total births for the year. Included :m the 1400 cases of multiple birth were.-sis cases of triplets The average number of children for each mother was 3.08, as compared with 3 1 the previous year. Deaths -numbering- 66,236 were .reported during the year, representing a death ratojpf 9.89 per ICOO of the population. Caucer was responsible for 6073 deaths 0r,9 per cent, of the total deaths, heart disease caused 8.7 per cent of the- deaths- reported, old a"o 8 3'per cent., tuberculosis 6.3 per cent enter itis;s.3 per cent., and pneumonia' 4 3 per cent. . or- the deaths. • There were 13 deaths of ;ccntonarians, whoso a-'cs ranged; up to- 109 years. The float), rate of children aged less than one year 6 1 per. cent, of the total births, the lowest in any except New Zealand In 1923-44:541 man-ianes were rc-Mstcr-cd> mid, 483 of the brides were" ;vcd !css L Uian. 17 years. M, i,h c other extreme llicrci'were 73 brutes a^ed 65 vi'iirs and over,, the oldest hv.wj mied 01 Vcure The oldest bridegroom 'was aged G6 yeara. .