BIRTH-RATE IS ON DECLINE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18149, 7 May 1927, Page 2

BIRTH-RATE IS ON DECLINE.

FIGURES SHOW 1926 HAS UNENVIABLE RECORD. STATISTICIAN COMMENTS ON DISQUIETING FEATURES. (Special to the “ Star.”) WELLINGTON, May 7. Preliminary figures compiled by the Government Statistician show that the birth rate for 1926 is the lowest ever recorded in the Dominion, while the proportion of illegitimate total births was the highest yet recorded. The births registered were 25.472. representing 21.05 per 1000 of the mean population. The total number is 320 more than in 1925, but 36 less than in 1916. In Fpite of an increase of nearly 250,000 population during ten years,, the rate is 0.12 per 1000 lower than in 1925, which represented the lowest previous level. Of the 25;473 children whose births were registered in 1926, males numbered 14,649 and females 13,824. The masculinity of the birth rate shows a tendency to increase as the birth rate falls, a state of affairs probably due to the higher proportion of-first births to total births, masculinity usually being higher in first births than is the case in subsequent issues. More Twins. Counting only cases where both children were born alive, there were 35S cases of twins, and two cases of triplets. The average is one mother with twins or triplets in every 7S, a phenomenal increase in the proportion over the previous year, which showed one in 92. The proportion of cases of multiple births is the highest for many years past. Of 26.551 accouchements where living legitimate infants were born 8355 represented first births, a percentage of 31.47 against 30.89 last vear and a five years’ average of 30.83. A total of 4121 were within the first twelve months after marriage, and 2301 within the second year. This shows very little variation from preceding years. A High Figure. “It is probably only natural to expect,” says the Statistician “that the birth rate falls the proportion of illegtimates to total births will tend to increase. Nevertheless, it is unsatisfactory and somewhat disquieting to record that this proportion in 1920 reached the unprecedently high figure of 5.17 per cent, no fewer than 1473 of 28,473 births being illegitimate. The previous highest rates, in recent years at least, were those for 1924, 4.77 per 100; and 1920, 4.76. A study of the quarterly figures of illegitimate births would indicate that the unenviable record for 1926 was in some degree! associated with the Dunedin Exhibition. The figures for each quarter of 1925 and 1926 are:

Not only was the proportion of illegitimate births the highest yet recorded, but the proportion of cases 21.44 per cent where a legitimate child was born within seven months after the marriage of the parents was also considerably higher than usual, the five vears figures from 1922 being:—l922, 1557; 1923, 1G1S; 1924, 1664; 1925, 1657; 1926, 1791.

1925 1926 March .. 519 310 lune .. 307 316 September . . 355 3.39 December . . 351 42 S