TALLY OF POPULATION

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 154, 30 June 1926, Page 11

TALLY OF POPULATION

THE PROVINCIAL DISTRICTS

AUCKLAND'S BIG FIGURES

ONE-THIRD OF DOMINION'S TOTAL. One of tho significant features of the census returns of the ten provincial districts of New Zealand is that Auckland, as with its urban population, obtains a further lead in the numerical strength of the Dominion. The iigures for the Auckland provincial district (excluding Maoris) are 424,925; AVellington, 273,001; Canterbury (the next highest), 213,746.

Next in importance to the population figures of the cities and suburbs of the Dominion (recently published) are those which give the census of the provincial districts and the Statistician's returns for the latter were made known this morning by the Minister of Internal Affairs (the Hon. K. F. Bollard). "The figures showing tho growth of the different provincial districts of the Dominion which tho Statistician (Mr. Frascr) has given me," remarked Mr. Bollard, "arc no doubt those which the public largely anticipated, for there is one thing apparent to the overseas visitor —tho New Zealandcr keeps in touch with tho affairs of his country, and can well presage the trend of events. Tho four chief provincial districts certainly oomo out well in the census, and the analysis of the returns makes interesting reading.''

Stability of Provinces.

When regional movements of the population in New Zealand are surveyed on broad lines, it is usually the provincial districts which provide the territorial basis required. Despite the disproportion in area and in population, the provincial districts have the very solid merits of being well-known and of possessing stability in boundaries. When the provinces were abolished a half-century earlier, each was given status as a provincial district. Southland, having merged with Otago shortly' before, is not therofore a'■ provincial district, and the Southland portion of Otago, as shown, comprises the four counties of Southland, Wallace, Fiord and Stewart Island, altogether an area considerably larger than the old Southland Province. In the recent Census the populations of the districts wero shown to be as follows:—

Dominion 1,344,384 62,781 AUCKLAND'S CONTINUED LEAD. Auckland, it will be observed, is very much the largest district, and in fact contains almost one-third (32 per cent.) of the Dominion's population. Since tho northern province has been adding to the number of its inhabitants at a considerably more rapid rate than other districts, it is probable that its proportion of the population will be oven greater. Next to Auckland, Wellington, Otago, and Taranaki show the greatest gain in numbers. Otago's position is, doubtless, affected by the South Seas Exhibition" at Dunedin. Marlborough, Southland, and Westland occupy the lower rates of increase.

The following return gives the percentage of increases between the Census of 1921 and that taken in April last:—

FIGURES FOR TWO DECADES. Movements during a short period such as five years are often not a reliable index of true growth. For that reason the percentage gains or losses over a period of two decades will, perhaps, serve a more useful purpose. It will be noted that Auckland maintains its lead in each inter-censal period, and also that the record is not one of unbroken growth for each provincial district, although this latter remark is applicable to South Island districts only.

A point of some interest which is not without its important side is the sex ratio of the population in the various districts. All northern districts have a greater male population than female. Auckland's male majority amounts to 14,800, Hawkes Bay's to 2000, Tarana.ki's to 3000, and Wellington's to 7000. In the South Island matters are not quite the same. Marlborough has a male majority of 1000, Nelson of 2400, Westland of 800, and- Southland of 2800. On the other hand, in Canterbury there are 2200 more females than males, and in Otago about an equal number.

Population (Excluding Provincial District. Maoris) Auckland 424,925 Hawkea Bay 05,569 Taranaki ........... 07,653 Wellington i. 273,601 Marlborough 18,068 Nelson 50,545 Westland 13.023 Canterbury 213,740 OtuKO —Otago portion .. 149,o79 Otago—Southland portion 05,173 Maoris 44.906 4,083 3,538 7,095 503 169 120 1,066 331 370

increase (Excluding Iucreaso Provincial- Maoris) per cent. District. 1921-26 1921-26. Auckland .. n ....... 55,307 14.9G Kawkes Bay 4,641 7.62 Taranakl 5,742 0.27 Wellington ........ 24,800 0.97 Marlborougn 780 4.38 nelson 2,917 0.12 Westland 844 5.95 Canterbury 11,712 7.39 Otago— Otago portion 12,699 9.28 Southland portion . 3,026 4.87 Dominion 125,471* 10.20 •Loss by 4236 than the actual Dominion increase (120,707; 10.68 per cent.) on account of different treatment of half-castes in 1921.

jncrcasc per cent. Provincial In Population. District. 1921-2G. 1916-21. 1911-16. 1908-11. Auckland ... 14.9G 19.80 16.0.') 2H.23 Hawkes Bay 7.62 12.27 ,11.78 14.92 Taranahl ... 9.27 10.99 8.17 18.83 Wellington . 9.97 11.18 12.40 10.69 Marlborough. 4.3S ».2» 1.01 11.25 Kelson ti.12 0.86* 0.S7» 13.97 Westland .. 5.95 0.64 10.33* 7.09 Canterbury . 7.39 11.31 3.09 8.88 Otago--Otago portion ... 9.28 3.S5 0.45* 3.54 Southland portion .. 4.87 4.7D 1.05 10.61 Dominions 10.29 10.87 9.02 13.49 •Decrease.