FEWER BIRTHS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21538, 9 January 1932, Page 11

FEWER BIRTHS

LOWEST TOTAL SINCE 1919 INCREASE IN DEATHS. The vital statistics for 1931 show a decline in the number of births, a state that has been continuous since 1926, when 3582 was the peak figure reached. Last year’s total was 29 below the 1930 figure, and the lowest aggregate since 1919. The annual figures since the war are:—

Marriages show a decline of 300, the total for 1931 being 1842, and for 1930 2142. The number of civil marriages last year totalled 517, as against 538 in T 930, which established a record. There was, however, a higher proportion of civil marriages last year. The annual figures of marriages performed by the registrar since 1926 are: 1926, 535; 1927, 494; 1928, 496; 1929, 468; 1930, 538; 1931, 517. An interesting feature of the returns is that the deaths in September were greater in number than in any month since December, 1918, when there were 239 recorded. The influenza epidemic in that month was drawing to a close, and in the previous month 904 deaths were recorded. The incidence of influenza in September, 1931, accounted chiefly for the high total of 221. The year’s total was 1953, as against 1868 in 1930—an increase of 85.

1910 .. 2713 1920 .. 3582 1920 ,. 3385 1027 3480 1921 .. 3300 1928 .. 3197 1922 3201 1929 .. 3001 1923 .. 3240 1930 ... 2823 1924 .. 3343 1931 .. 2794 1925 .. 3447