VITAL STATISTICS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVI, Issue 106, 5 April 1926, Page 6

VITAL STATISTICS.

DOMINION FIGURES. LOW DEATH RATE. Preliminary figures of births, marriages, deaths, and infantile mortality for the year 1925- are now available (states the abstract of statistics for March). Though not final, the figures are subject to very slight alteration only, except in the case of marriages. As theso latter returns have not yet been finalised the' figures relating to them must bo regarded as a fairly close estimate only. A table showing the number and rates per 1000 of mean population for - each of the last five years is given below :

The total number of births registered during 1925 was slightly in excess of the number for 1924, but this increase was not sufficient to produce a corresponding rise in the birth-rate. The rate, 21.17 per 1000 of mean population, is in fact*, the lowest ever recorded in the Dominion, the previous lowest rate being that for 1919—viz., 21.42 per 1000. < The number of marriages celebrated during 1925 is estimated at 10,362, this total indicating an advance of 103 over the previous year. It is, however, 189 below the average of the five preceding years. The marriagerate of 7.7,9 per 1000, on the other sightly lower than that for 1924 (7.90), and 0.69 per 1000 less than the preceding five-yearly average. An increase of 259 in the number of deaths was recorded for 1925 over 1924, the principal factor responsible for this being tile epidemic of infantile paralysis experienced in the first six months of the year. Nevertheless, it is extremely gratifying to note that the record low rate of 8.29 per 1000 of mean population, established in 1924, has been equalled again in 1925. If the death-rate of a country may be regarded as an indication of its comparative healthiness, then New Zealand leads the world in this respect. An accompanying table shows that Zealand’s death rate last year }'n a o< o’ as , a 6 a inst Australia’s 9.5 for ““i South Africa, 9.7; Canada, 9.8; Netherlands, 9.9; up to Chile, 32.8.

t* 1. i 1 1? to kH s a a SI 1921 .. 28,667 ‘ 10.635 10,682 1,366 1922 .. 29,006 9,556 10,977 1,215 1923 .. 27,907 10,070 11,511 1,225 1924 .. 23,014 10,259 10,767 1,127 1925 .. 28,153 10,362 11,026 1,125 Rates Infantile per 1,000 of Mean Mortality Population per 1000. Births, Marriages, Deaths. Births. 23.34 8.69 8.73 47.82 23.17 7.63 8.77 41.89 21.94 7.90 9.03 43.80 21.57 7.90 8.29 40.23 21.17 7.79 8.29 39.96