DOMINION'S PEOPLE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20251, 10 May 1929, Page 10

DOMINION'S PEOPLE.

YEAR'S INCREASE OF 17,000.

MOVEMENT TO THE SOUTH.

[nr TELEGRAPH. —PRESS ASSOCIATION.] WELLINGTON, Thursday.

The quarterly estimates by tho Government Statistician of the population of New Zealand, as at March 31, were published in tho Gazette yesterday. The population of New Zealand, exclusive of its island dependencies, is 1,470,649, this estimate including Maoris. The total population, including Samoa. Cook Islands, Nine, etc., is 1,529,720.

Excluding Maoris, the population of New Zealand proper is given as 1,404,956, tho Maori population being 65,693. . The North Island population, including Maoris, is 932,322, and excluding Maoris, 869,536. Tho South Island population is 538,327, and excluding Maoris, 535,420.

Comparison with the estimate a year ago shows that there has been ai\ increase in population of 17,132; iii_ the previous year the increase was 15,537. The remarkable feature of the latest estimate is the large increase in the South Island. Tho increases in Maoris are only 832 in the North Island and 44 in' the South Island. Excluding Maoris the estimates show increases in the North Island of 2056, and in the South Island of 14,200. That this movement is unusual appears from the following summary of the estimates for the last five years of population, excluding Maoris: —

North Island. South Island. Totals. 1905 . . 814,351 510,680 1.325,037 192G . . 833,151 521,111 1,354/292 1027 . 855,717 518,029 1.373,740 1923 . . 807,480 521,220 1,388.700 1929 . 569,53G 535,420 1,401,956

In the last three years half-castes have been counted as Maoris, and this transference affects the comparison with the first two years quoted. The summary is, however, striking evidence of a sudden change in the ratio of population as between the two islands, suggesting a considerable movement in the last year from north to south.