CENSUS FIGURES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26043, 5 January 1946, Page 4

CENSUS FIGURES

POPULATION INCREASE HIGH MAORI BIRTHRATE DRIFT TO NORTHERN CITIES (P.A.) WELLINGTON, Jan. 4. The Minister in charge of the Census and Statistics Department, Mr W. Nash, commenting to-day on the interim census returns, said that between the 1936 and 1945 censuses the total Maori population had increased by 14,927 to 97,263. The percentage rate of increase at 18.1 had been the means of- raising considerably the percentage rate of increase of the total popula- / tion. “ Biologically it is possible for a population to double itself in one generation of 25 years,” Mr Nash said, “ and history provides rare examples of communities in which this has been achieved. Though far from this rate of reproduction, the increase in the Maori population is, by comparison with that of the European population, remarkable.” Total Increase of Eleven per Cent. Mr Nash said the returns disclosed an increase in the population of 128,413, or 8.2 per cent., to the present figure of 1,702,223. This total, however, related only to persons resident in New Zealand at the taking of the census. The addition of the 44,096 members of the armed forces who were overseas at the date of the census would bring the total increase to 172,509, or 11 per cent., and the total present population to 1,746,319. The Minister said that, exclusive of Maoris, but allowing for the troops overseas, the percentage rate of increase during the 9J-years period from 1936 to 1945 (10.6 per cent.) was only a fraction lower than that for the 10-year period from 1926 to 1936, when the rate of increase was 10.9 per cent. The net reproduction rate .(the population, was'just reproducing itself when the rate was one) steadily increased from 0.970 in 1936 to 1.274 in 1941, since when it had receded slightly to 1.207 in 1944, Mr Nash said. . A too optimistic conclusion as to the growing birthrate was, however, checked by reference to the census period 1921-1926, during which five years an increase in population amounting to 10.7 was recorded. North Island Expansion Mr Nash said that in recent decades the North Island population had increased more rapidly than that of the South Island. This trend was undoubtedly related to the more rapid industrial development of North Island centres.

“ The present population of the North Island (1,146,228) is 128,192, or 12.7 per cent., greater than the 1936 figure,” Mr Nash said. “The South Island population (555,955) is only 221, or 0.04 per cent., greater than the 1936 total. “The percentage distribution of the population between the two islands is: North Island, 67.3 per cent.; South Island. 32.7 per cent.; as against 64.7 and 35.3 per cent, in 1936. While the population trend of the South Island may be regarded as unsatisfactory, it cannot be argued that the rate of increase in the north is so spectacular as to cause a noticeable unbalance. The need plainly is for continued increase in the North Island and a more commensurate increase in the South Island.” Mr Nash said that the cities and boroughs which had contributed 115,906 of the total increase (excluding those in the forces) of 128,413 since the last census, now contained 63.1 per cent, of the population, compared with 59.3 per cent, in 1936. The independent town districts recorded an increase of 5225, while on the preliminary figures the town districts showed a decrease of " seven. The counties showed an increase of only 6280. The small balance of the total recorded increase was accounted for by the population on board ship and on adjacent islands which were not parts of counties. Increase in Auckland District Most of the urban increase Mr Nash continued, had been in the larger centres. Foremost was Auckland City, the industrial development of which had resulted in a gain of 20,983, or 20.5 per cent., while the contiguous districts had increased substantially. The Auckland urban area showed a total increase of 51,416. Wellington occupied second place for a similar reason. “ Most spectacular has been the growth in the population of Lower Hutt City from 17,772-in 1936 to 31,190 in 1945, representing' a 75.5 per cent, increase, and accounting for the major part of the increase of 22,916 shrown

Rural Population Declines “ The decline in the rural population, although more apparent in the South Island, is general,” said Mr Nash. “Only 11 counties in the South Island have recorded increases compared with 42 which recorded decreases. The comparable figures for the North Island are 30 and 46. The total gain in the North Island counties is 27,330, while the South Island counties have declined by 21.050. “ The rural population is thus barely holding its own, although caution is necessary in drawing conclusions as to the consequences of the census results for. the farming industry. It has to be realised that the number of farms has not decreased, that farm technology has economised man-power and that rural development and constructional work, which formerly, occupied a larger proportion of the population, is now tapering relatively to urban activities. “The growth of many counties in the Auckland provincial district is made more marked by the generally static county positions. Every county . in the large area extending from Auckland city south to the Waikato counties and east through Piako, Matamata, Tauranga, Rotorua and Bay of Plenty has the distinction of recording a population increase. “ In other parts of the country,” Mr Nash concluded, “the growth has been less extensive and in some instances it has been due to the location of service establishments. The slight decline in yet a number of other districts wili be offset by the return of service personnel from overseas, while the position of certain counties was distorted in 1936 by the relatively large number of relief, etc., workers located there. None of the figures given includes United States servicemen or enemy prisoners of war.”

Cities and Town Per cent. Counties boroughs districts [Under five .. 11 22 4 Five to ten .. 10 22 4 Ten or over .. 20 51 23 Totals .. 41 95 31 Decreases

Cities and Town Per cent. Counties boroughs districts Under five .. 11 18 6 Five to ten .. 16 9 7 Ten or over .. 61 6 8 Totals .. .. 88 33 21