H.—3l.

Proportion of Births Year Marriages. Legitimate to every - Lea,r - Births. Marriage solemnised „___ in the Preceding Year 19 °0 ... 5,860 18,640 341 19 01 ... ... ... ... 6,095 19,554 334 19 02 ••• ••• ... ... 6,394 19,734 3-23 1903 ••• ••• ... ... 6,748 20,835 326 1904 ... 6,983 21,737 3-22 19 05 ... ... ... ... 7,200 22,600 3-24 19 °6 ... ... ... ... 7,592 23,120 3 21 19 07 8,192 23,937 315 1908 ••• ••■ ... 24,835 303 If the average result be taken out for the ten years 1889-98, it will be found to represent 4-36 births to a marriage. Dealing similarly with the figures for 1899-1908 the result is an average of 3-26, so that regarded annually or decennially there is a decided fall to be observed. New Zealand had in 1880 the highest birth-rate in Australasia (40-78) ; in 1900 the case was reversed ; but in 1908 the New Zealand rate was higher than that of Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia. The movement over ten years is calculated as under : —

Birth-rates per 1,000 of Population.

Although New Zealand had in 1899 the lowest birth-rate in Australasia, the rate for 1908 was higher than the average for the Commonwealth, 26-35 per 1,000 of population. Sexes of Children born. The figures show that during each year since 1886 there has been a preponderance of births of male children. It would appear, however, that this excess of male births is not sufficient to compensate for the heavier mortality which occurs among that sex. Of the total population in 1871 there were 70-52 females to every 100 males, but in 1908 the proportion of the females to 100 males had risen to 88-24.

2—H. 31.

9

Country. 1899. 1900. 1901. j 1902 . 1903. 1904. 1905. : 190G. 1907. ! 190S. I Queensland New South Wales Victoria South Australia Western Australia Tasmania New Zealand ... 27-31 i 30-21 27-34 27-43 26-71 25-82 25-51 25-78 30-64 31-46 25-98 28-25 25-12 ; 25-60 28-53 ! 27-89 24-62 27-78 27-20 25-41 25-77 25-23 24-46 25-39 24-85 23-43 30-34 30-27 3026 28-60 29-23 28-62 26-34 25-89 2661 27-13 26-81 24-65 24-70 30-33 29-60 26-94 25-92 26-79 24-83 23-82 30-29 29-33 27-22 26-31 27-12 25-14 23-54 3001 29-82 27-08 26-98 2722 2516 23-82 29-40 29-50 27-30 26-99 26-86 24-71 24-59 29-25 30-90 27-45

I i Number of Births of Proportion ot Births of Males to every 100 Females. Year. Males. Females. 1888 1889 1890 1891 1892 1893 1894 1895 1896 1897 1898 1899 1900 1901 1902 1903 1901 1905 1906 1907 1908 9,641 9,514 9,293 9,377 9,101 9,310 9,472 9,493 9,511 9,600 9,615 9,724 10,107 10,471 10,653 11,217 11,762 12,109 12,397 12,835 13,369 9,261 8,943 8,985 8,896 8,775 8,877 9,056 9,053 9,101 9,137 9,340 9,111 9,439 10,020 10,002 10,612 11,004 11,573 11,855 19,259 12,571 1041 106-4 103-4 105-4 103-7 104-9 104-6 104-9 104-5 1051 102-9 106-7 107-1 104-5 106-5 105-7 106-9 104-6 104-6 104-7 106-3