UNBROKEN GROWTH

Evening Star, Issue 21005, 20 January 1932, Page 14

UNBROKEN GROWTH

POPULATION FIGURES OVER A MILLIOK AND A-HALF " DRIFT ” TO THE NORTH The population of New Zealand, its dependencies, and the mandated territory of Western Samoa at April 1, 1931 j is given in the ‘ New Zealand Official Year Book,’ now released, as over one and a-half millions. Details are as follows, the figures for males being given first and for females second; — Population (exclusive of Maoris) of New Zealand proper, 735,965, 706,781. Maori population of New Zealand proper, 35,526, 32,668. Population (inclusive of Maoris) of New Zealand proper, 771,491, 739,449. Total (males and females), 1,510,940. Population of Cook Islands and Niue, 7,601, 7,320; Tokelau Islands (November, 1929), 497, 502. Mandated territory of Western Samoa. 23.781, 21,868. Totals (inclusive of dependencies): Males, 803,370; females, 769,139; aggregate,_ 1,572,509. It is pointed out that the outstanding note of the history of population movement in New Zealand is one of unbroken growth. The following have been the average annual percentage increases at successive census enumerations from the first general census onwards: —1858, 12.14; 1861, 18.70; 1864, 20.54; 1867, 8.15; 1871, 5.11; 1874, 5.32; 1878, 8.43; 1881, 5.58; 1886, 3.39; 1891, 1.61; 1896, 2.33; 1901, 1.91; 1906, 2.79; 1911, 2.60; 1916, 1.57; 1921, 2.32; 1926, 2.05.

AVERAGE ANNUAL INCREMENT,

The average annual population increment during the ten post-war years, 1919-28, exceeded 30,000. In 1928 the population gain fell to 16,071, hut showed a slight rise to 17,442 in 1929, and a further rise to 19,325 in 1930. Apart from war years, which were affected by movements of troops, these are the lowest absolute increases since 1900, and the lowest relative increases, with the exception of 1888, ever recorded. Contributing causes are stated to be the continued fall in the birth rate, which has now reached a level below half that of fifty years ago, and the shrinkage of the normal excess of overseas arrivals over departures. . . . The population movement over several decades has proved fairly stable, and it is stated that if continued at the same rate it would result in a population (other than Maori) of 2,500,000 in two decades. The final criterion of the dominion’s growth in respect of population, it is pointed out, is supplied by a comparison of the rates of increase of other portions of the British Empire and of various foreign countries. Contrasted with some _ European countries, the dominion is experiencing a rapid growth, for they are “ emigration ” countries, while New Zealand is an “immigration” country. Contrasted, on the other hand, with Canada and Australia, the comparison is not altogether favourable to New Zealand, although the former countries are much older in point of settlement. Another factor is that Canada is, of course, comparatively close to the sources of immigrant population, while both Canada and Australia also still have vast areas undeveloped. THE BIRTH RATE.

Up to the ’seventies New Zealand was dependent on migration for the greater portion of her increase of population, but since then natural increase (excess of births over deaths) has been the principal factor. For a few years (1888-1891) there was actually an excess of departures over arrivals. Over the''whole period 1861-1930, migration accounted for 37 per cent, of the total increase, excess of births over deaths accounting for 63 per cent. From 1901 to 1930 the former is responsible for 31 per cent., and the latter for 69 per cent, of the increase of population. .• . The most fruitful five-yearly period in respect of population gained through migration was that of the gold-rush period nearly seventy years ago. With a stable birth rate the natural increase would show mounting numbers, whereas actually the peak occurred in 1911-1915, and the shrinkbirth rate has reduced numbers accruing from this source.

The actual increase of population (excluding Maoris) during the calendar year 1930 was 19,325, as-compared with 17,442 in 1929. Of the total estimated population of 1,442,746, excluding Maoris, at March 31, 1931, adults numbered 882,631 (males 449,566, females 433,065). OVERSEAS ARRIVALS.

Including crews of\ vesels, 80,815 persons from overseas arrived in New Zealand in 1930, which, compared with 1929, shows a decrease of 4,157. In the same period 76,008 persons departed. This figure, comp cl with the corresponding one for 19-9, shows a decrease of 5,909. The gain by migration to the dominion’s population during 1930 was thus 4,747, as compared with 2,995 in 1929. Excluding members of crews of | vessels, ' 32,559 persons arrived in the dominion during the calendar year 1930. Of these, 6,917 were immigrants intending permanent residence in the country, as compared’ with 6,343 of a similar class in 1929. The vast majority of these immigrants, 6.518, or 94.2 per cent., came from British countries, mainly from the British Isles, Australia, Canada, South Africa, Fiji, and India. Out of the total of 6,917 there were 309 persons of foreign nationality. Under the heading of ‘ Face Aliens ’ it is pointed out that at March 31, 1931, the approximate numbers of the principal alien races present in New Zealand were: Chinese 2,854, Indians 1,166, and Syrians 980. DISTRIBUTION OF POPULATION. In the census year 1926, the population (excluding Maoris) of the North Island was 831,813, and that of the South Island, (including Stewart and Chatham Islands) 512,656, giving the following proportions per cent.: —North Island, 61.87; South Island, 38.13, A feature of recent years has been the steady trend of population to the North Island. The ‘ Year Book ’ states that the natural increase of population (excess of births over deaths) for the South Island in 1930 was 5,004, yet the total increase was only 3,138. A net “ drift ” of 1,860 is therefore disclosed. For the North Island (and the figures ifi each case are exclusive of Maoris) the natural increase was 5,594 and the total 16,187. The estimated population, inclusive of Maoris, of the various provincial districts, as at April 30, 1931, was as follows:—Auckland, 512,700; Hawke’s Bay, 75,900; Taranaki, 75,800; Wellington, 310,455; Marlborough, 19,500; Nelson, 52,600; Westland, 16,400; Canterbury, 227,005; Otago, 152,600; Southland, 68,400. Total, 1,511,360. On April 20, 1926, somewhat over one-third (38.5 per cent.) of the population of the dominion (excluding Maoris) was included in the four principal .urban areas—

Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin—and over one-half (5l per cent.) in these and in the ten secondary urban areas. The increasing proportion of urban population in recent years is manifest.