BIRTH RATE

Evening Star, Issue 21005, 20 January 1932, Page 2

BIRTH RATE

DECLINE RECORDED DECREASE IN DEATH RATE DOMINION FIGURES The fortieth issue of the ‘ New Zealand Official Year Book ’ shows that the number of births registered in 1930 (26,979) was fifty more than the total for 1929, but 1,138 less than the figure for 1913, in spite of an increase of over 350.000 in population during the seventeen years. The rate per 1,000 of mean population (18.80) is the lowest ever recorded in the dominion, being 0.21 per 1,000 lower than in 1929, which represented the previous lowest level. Although there has been a noticeable fall in the birth rate in the last few years, the fall, however, is small when compared with the tremendous decline between the ’seventies'and ’nineties. DECREASE IN DEATH RATE. The decline of the birth rate in New Zealand has been partially compensated for by a .decrease in the death rate; Nevertheless, the rate of natural increase of population IRs fallen from 31.19 per 1,000 of meat! ■ population in 1870 to 10.24 in 1930. In spite of the fact that the birth rate in New Zealand is low compared with other countries, yet, it is pointed out, so low it the dominion’s death rate that New Zealand ranks. comparatively high among the nations in regard to the rate of natural increase. A table is published showing that only eight of the forty countries it contains have lower birth rates than New Zealand, but only eighteen have higher rates of natural increase. The Australian birth rale has been consistently higher than that of New Zealand over the last twenty years. In 1930 the Australian Commonwealth birth rate per 1,000 of population was 19.93, as compared with New' Zealand's 18.80. SEXES OF CHILDREN. With the exception of one year, there has always been a preponderance of males in the number of children born in New Zealand. The proportions are usually shown by stating the number of births of male children to every 1,000 female births. This number, the 1 Year IBook ’ states, has been as high as 1,113 in 1859, and as low as 991 in 1860. In 1930 a table show’s that there w’ere 13,713 male births and 13,084 female births, giving the proportion of 1,048 male births per 1.000 female births. “ It would appear,” says the ‘ Year Book,’ “ that, the proportion of males is somewhat higher for first births than for the general average of all children. Of 83.008 legitimate first births registered during the ten years 1921-30 (excluding plural births), 42.748 were of males and 40,260 of females, the proportion of males per 1,000 females being 1,062. The high proportion does not appeal to be due to the youth of the mothers, there being a lower rate in cases whore the mother was under twenty-five than w’hore the mother was between twenty-five gnd thirty-five.” OTHER FIGURES. In 1930 the total cases of multiple births was 26,488. There were 305 cases of twins and two cases of triplets. The births of 1,371 children (742 males, 629 females) registered in 1930 w r ere illegitimate, as compared with a total of 1,327 in 1929. In a note on the subject, it is stated that it is only natural to expect that, as the birth rate falls, the proportion of illegitimate to total births will tend to increase. The registration of 385 adopted children was effected in 1930, as compared with 402 in 1929. The number of births of Maoris registered with Registrars of Maori Births and Deaths in 1930 was 2,002. The births of 55 males and 67 females were registered under the main Act, and the total of 2,124 represents a rate of 32 per 1,000 of Maori population, a rate 68 per cent, higher than the general birth rate for the year. MARRIAGES. The number of marriages in 1930 was 11,075, and the rate per 1,000 of population 7.77. In 1929 there were 10,967 marriages. The following note on marriages is published: “The rapid fall in the marriage rate after 1915 was compensated for to a large extent, by the high figures for 1919, 1920, and 1921 (which were 9,519, 12,175, and 10,635). The number of marriages celebrated in 1920 still easily holds the record, while the rate for that year is the highest experienced since 1864. The rate for each of the last nine years, which is low by comparison with the docennium immediately preceding 1914, follows an extraordinary lev' 1 course.” DEATHS.

The number of deaths in 1930 (12,199), while not so low as some recorded in recent years, nevertheless, marked the cessation of the annual increase in the death rate in evidence during the previous three years.