THE BIRTH-RATE.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1751, 27 September 1905, Page 51

THE BIRTH-RATE.

AN INCREASE REPORTED. INTERESTING FIGURES. The Chief Health Officer, in his annual report, submits -some interesting figures. The number of births registered in the colony during 1904 was 22,766, or 26.94 in every 1000 persons living. The rate is the highest reached since the year 1894, the number of births being 987 in excess of that for the year 1903, an increase of 4.3 per cent. From 1882 until the year 1899 there was a regular fall in the birth-rate. The number of births registered in a year reached 19,846 in 1884, and. after

falling to 17,876 in 1892, has risen to 22,766 in 1904 as stated above. Although New Zealand had in 1900 the lowest birth-rate in Australasia, the fall was lete in this colony from 1895 to 1903 than in others, while the rate in this colony for 1904 is actually slightly higher than that ten years before. A declining birth-rate is notioeable in many civilised countries, and attention has been drawn by statisticians and political economists to the serious consequences that may result. That fertility among women in New Zealand is decreasing, from whatever causes, further facts will tend to show. Taking the number of married women in New Zealand at what may be considered the child-bearing ages (i.e., from fifteen to forty-five years, inclusive) as shown by each census since 1878, and for the same years the number of legitimate births (excluding plural) registered, the birth-rate per 1000 married women of the above-stated ages is easily found,' and is shown to be steadily declining. In 1878 the rate was 337 per 1000, in 1896 it had fallen to 252, and in 1901 to 244; or, in other words, in 1878 one married women of the ages specified in every three gave birth to a child, while in 1901 the rate was one in four only. In April, 1896, New Zealand had 83,650 children living under the , age of five years, and in March, 1901, the number was 86,806, an increase of 3147, although the population at all ages increased in the quinquennium by 9.86 per cent. Between 1886 and 1891 the children living under five years actually decreased in number by 3624, the increase of population of all ages (8.33 per cent.) being less than between 1891 and 1896 (12.24 per cent.) or 1896 and 1901 (9.86 per cent.) The number of children under one year to the total population at all ages, according to the results of four censuses, was: —

Thus, in 1886, with a population of 578,482 persons, there were 18,355 children under one year, against 18,381 children of that age in 1901, with a population of 772,719 persons. The births registered in 1885 were 19,693, against 19,546 in 1900. The birth-rate fell from 34.35 per 1000 of the population in 1885 to 25.60 in 1900. Deducting 1469, the number of deaths of children under one year registered in 1900, from 19,546, the number of births for that year, leaves 18,077, or within 304 of the living children under one year at the time of the last census. The total number of births registered was 19,299 in 1886, and 22,766 in 1904, while the illegitimate births rose from 602 to 1029. The causes that led to the fall in the birth-rate certainly did not greatly affect the number of illegitimate children. The number of spinsters in the colony between fifteen and forty-five increased during the ten years from 65,035 (census 1891) to 100,310 (census 1901), or at the rate of 55.9 per cent., while the illegitimate births increased from 638 to 927, or at the rate of 46.9 per cent. only. It would therefore appear that the larger proportion of illegitimate birth* now obtaining cannot with any certainty be taken as indicative of increased looseness of living on the part of the people. VACCINATIONS. The number of successful vaccinations of children registered in 1904 was 18,368, against 11,683 in 1903. The fall prior to 1902 was consequent on the alteration of the law relative to vaccination in England, and subsequently in this colony, while the increase shown for the three years was no doubt due to a slight visitation of smallpox from abroad, which caused ono death in 1903. One child in every ten born in 1904 is shown to have been successfully vaccinated in that year. This is a falling back to the position, or nearly so, which obtained in 1901 as regards vaccination of infants. The exemptions taken out will also be found from the subsequent remarks to have fallen in number. Eleven thousand two hundred and thirteen exemption certificates were issued from the 13th October, 1900, when the act came into force, to the end of the year 1904. Of these 2625 belong to the year 1904, when, as before stated, the successful vaccination of children under one year of age amounted to 2323, or 10 per cent, of births. The figures given above do not include Maoris vaccinated, nor vaccinations of adult- persons other than natives.

Children under Total Popularone year. tion (all ages). 1886 ... 18,355 578,482 1891 16,443 626,658 1896 .. # 17,070 703,360 1901 ..." 18,381 772,719