POPULATION TRENDS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXX, 21 December 1936, Page 7

POPULATION TRENDS

LITTLE IMPROVEMENT SHOWN FIGURES FOR NINE MONTHS No improvement in the rate of natural increase in population in New Zealand has occurred during the present year, according to the estimates of population for the nine months ended 30th September, prepared by the Census and Statistics Department, Wellington. , a . , • The population, excluding Maoris, at 30th September, is given as 1,493,711, an increase of only 1438 during the year. The total is composed of 757,293 miales and 736,418 females. The population, including Maoris, was 1,577,109, an increase of 8902. This is a larger figure than for the first nine months of 1935, but these increases are not reliable, apparently as a result of adjustments to the estimated European and Maori populations following the census. Even allowing for migration movements, they wbuld mean a big decrease in the European birth rate and an impossibly large increase in the Maori rate.

The figures of births and deaths for the first three quarters of the year, give a basis of comparison, however. Up to 30th September there had been 18,462 births and 9763 deaths, compared with 17,812 births and 9159 deaths during the same period last year. The natural increase was thus 8682, compared with 8653 during that period in 1935, which, -allowing for the gain in population, means that the rate for the present year up to the end of September was very slightly lower than last. It is noteworthy that there was a considerable increase in births, but there was a corresponding increase in deaths. External migration figures for the seven months from 31st March to 31st October show that there is still a population loss from this source, although it is smaller than in the last two years. During the period 1362 immigrants arrived intending permanent residence in the Dominion and 2275 permanent residents departed, an unfavourable balance of 913. The loss during this period last year was 1504 and the year before 1130.