POPULATION PROGRESS.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 187, 12 September 1914, Page 11

POPULATION PROGRESS.

SOME INTERESTING FIGURES^

j The Commonwealth Statistician, Mr G. H. Knibbs, has issue*! his annual ! bulletin relating to the population and vital statistics of Australia. Mr Knibbs estimates the population .of the Otwnmonwealth on December 31 last at 4,572,059 persons, o including 2,53(5.530 males and 2,335,529 females. The number of persons to the square mile at that date was 1.61. .During the year the population increased by 138,700, of which 135,714 were children born in the Commonwealth, and the remainder immigrants. The total of male births was (59,434, of which 65,603 were nuptial, and 3831 ex-nuptial. The total of fe- - male births stood at 66,280 (nuptial 62,673, and ex-nuptial 3607). There were 2600 sets of twins and 24 sets of triplets born in wedlock during the year, and 116 sets of twins born out of wedlock. An interesting table relating to the ages of mothers and fathers shows that there were three mothers aged 13 with 'ex-nuptial children, and one mar- . ried mother aged 14.. The oldest mothers were two aged 55, and theii husbands were aged respectively 55 and 56. The youngest fathers were two aged 15 and" the oldest father 79. The crude birth rate was 28.25. The total number of-deaths for the .year was 51,789 (28,859 males and 21,930 females). Of this total, 14,103 occurred in. public institutions. The death rate was 1*0.78. The total number of marriages in the year was 41,594, and the / marriage rate "was 8.66 per 1000 of the whilst the youngest bride was aged 14 mean population. The youngest bridegroom was aged 15, and the oldest ami the oldest 95.