H.—3l.

APPENDICES.

APPENDIX I.—GENERAL STATISTICS FOR THE YEAR 1908-9.

PART I.—VITAL STATISTICS. For the following statistics relating to birth, death, and marriage rates the Department is indebted to the returns of the Registrar-General. Births. The number of births registered during 1908 was 25,940, or 27-45 in .every 1,000 persons living. The number of births is 846 in excess of that for the year 1907, an increase of 3-37 per cent. From 1882 until the year 1899 there was a regular fall in the rate. The births registered in a year number 19,846 in 1884, and, after falling to 17,876 in 1892, have risen to 25,940 in 1908 as stated above. The number of male children born during 1908 was 13,369, and of female children 12,571. The following table shows the number registered, the birth-rate calculated on the total population, and comparison with the average rate for 1882-86 taken as 100. Indications of a gradual increase are apparent, the improvement since 1899 being 9-28 per cent, on the rate per 1,000 in that year.

Births, Number and Rate.

The average number of children to a marriage may be ascertained by comparing the number of legitimate births for a series of years with the marriages, but commencing with the marriages in the year preceding that for which the first number of births is taken v ! The figures for the twenty-year period 1889-1908 show a decline in the proportion of births to every marriage in the preceding year from 4-93 to 3-03, as below : — Proportion of Births ~ . Legitimate to every Year Marriages. Births. Marriage solemnised in the Preceding Year. 1888 ■ 3,617 1889 ••• -•• 3,632 17,845 4-93 1890 3,797 17,675 4-87 1891 • ... ... 3,805 17,635 4-64 1892 ... ••■ 4,002 17,283 4-54 1893 ... ... 4,115 17,514 437 1894 ... ... 4,178 17,824 4-33 1895 ... ••• 4,110 17,711 4-24 1896 ' ••■ ■•■ 4,843 17,778 4-32 1897 ... ... 4,928 17,911 3-70 1898 '8,154 3-68 1898 5,091 1899 ... ■•• 5,461 18,006 ,;

8

Birth-rate. Birtl i-rate. Year. Total Number of Births registered. Total Number of Births registered. Compared with Rate in 1882-86 taken as 100. Year. Compared with Rate in 1882-80 taken as 100. Per 1,000 of Population. Per 1,000 of Population. 1882-86 1887 1888 1889 1890 1891 1892 1893 1894 1895 1896 19,410 19,135 18,902 18,457 18,278 18,273 17,876 18,187 18,528 18,546 18,612 35-40 32-09 31-22 30-07 29-44 2901 27-83 27-50 27-28 26-78 26-33 100 91 88 85 83 82 79 78 77 76 74 1897 1898 1899 1900 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 18,737 18,955 18,835 S19.546J 20,491 20,655 21,829 22,766 23,682 24,252 25,094 25,940 25-96 25-74 25-12 25-60 26-34 25-89 26-61 26-94 27-22 27-08 27-30 27-45 73 73 71 72 7-1 73 75 76 77 76 77 77