H.-31

Birth-rates in European Countries, 1896 to 1905.

From the year 1895 marriages have shown an increase in New Zealand, the rate being then 5-94 per 1,000 of population. In 1906 the rate rose to B'4B, the highest record since 1875, when it was 8 - 94 per 1,000 of mean population. The number of marriages solemnised in 1906 was 7,592, an increase of 392 on the number for 1905. Marriage-rates in Australasia per 1,000 of Population for Five Years. 1902. 1903. 1904. 1905. 1906. Queensland ... ... ... 631 572 5-93 604 6-73 New South Wales 7-53 6-86 7-21 742 7-63 Victoria ... ... ... ... 702 6-29 6-80 7-24 7-28 South Australia ... ... ... 6-61 6-25 ' 6-85 7-00 7-05 Western Australia ... ... ... 9-77 9-33 8-83 8-48 8-70 Tasmania... ... ... ... 7-47 7-57 7-55 7-61 7-74 New Zealand ... ... ... 8-01 8-23 8-26 8-28 8-48 In March, 1901, New Zealand bad 88,806 children living under the age of five years, and in April, 1906, the number was 102,745, an increase of 15,939, or 18-35 per cent., although the population at all ages increased in the quinquennium by only 1499 per cent. Between 1891 and 1896 the increase was only 455 or 055 per cent., while between 1886 and 1891 the children living under five years actually decreased in numb°r by 3,624, the increase of population of all ages (833 per cent.) being less than between 1891 and 1896 (12-24 per cent.), 1896 and 1901 (9-96 per cent.), or 1901 and 1906 (1499 per cent.). The number of children under one year to the total population at all ages, according to the results of five censuses, was : — Children under Total Population One Year. (all Ages). Census 1886 ... ... ... ... ... 18,355 578,482 1891 ... ... ... ... ... 16,443 626,658 1896 ... ... ... ... ... 17,070 703,360 1901 ... ... ... ... ... 18,381 772,719 1906 ... ... ... ... ... 22,289 888,578 Thus, in 1886, with a population of 578,482 persons, there were 18,355 children under one year, against 21,286 children of that age in 1906, with a population of 888,578 persons. The births registered in 1885 were 19,693, against 23,682 in 1905. The birth-rate fell from 34-35 per 1,000 of the population in 1885 to 27-22 in 1905. Deducting 1,599, the number of deaths of children under one year registered in 1905, from 23,682, the number of births for that year, leaves 22,083, or within '206 of the living children under one year at the time of the last census. Twin Births. There were 211 cases of twin births (422 children), and triplets were registered in four instances, in 1906. The number of children born was 24,252 ; the number of mothers was 24,033; thus, on an average, one mother in every 114 gave birth to twins, against 97 in 1905, 93 in 1904, and 97 in 1903. Illegitimacy. The births of 1,132 children were illegitimate : thus, 47 in every 1,000 children born were born out of wedlock, against 46 in 1905. The following table gives the rates of illegitimacy in Australasia. The rate in 1906 in New Zealand was less than in any of the Australian States except South Australia :—

XIV

Number of Births per 1,000 of Mean Population. Countries. 1904. 1905. 1896. 1897. 1898. 1899. 1900. 1901. 1902. 1903. Hungary ... Austria Italy German Empire Netherlands Scotland ... Norway ... England and "Wales Belgium ... Sweden Switzerland Ireland 40'5 380 347 36-3 32-7 30-4 30-4 29-6 99-0 27-2 27-9 23-6 22-5 40-3 37-5 34-6 36-0 32-5 300 30-0 29-5 290 26-7 28-1 23-5 22-3 377 362 33-4 361 31-9 301 303 293 28-6 27-1 28-4 232 21-8 39-3 37-1 33-8 35-8 320 29'8 30-9 29-1 28-8 264 28-9 229 21-9 39-3 373 32-9 356 31-5 29-6 30-1 28-7 28-9 26-9 28-6 22-7 21-4 37-8 369 32-6 35-7 32-3 29-5 29-8 28-5 29-4 27-0 291 22-7 22'0 38-8 370 33-3 351 31-8 29-2 291 28-5 28-4 26-5 28-7 23-0 21-7 36-7 352 31-5 339 316 29-2 28-8 28-4 27-5 25-7 27-7 23-1 21-1 37'0 35-4 32-6 341 31-4 28-7 28-1 27-9 27-1 25-8 27-7 23-6 20-9 357 32-3 30-8 28-1 27-4 27-2 257 27-4 234 206 France