11

H.—3l

Males of tender years are more delicate than females, and, later in life, more liable to accident. These disadvantages are partly compensated by the preponderance of male births, but the tendency of the natural increase is towards an equalization in the numbers of the sexes. For the purpose of considering the mortality in New Zealand more closely than can be done by means of crude death-rates, it is desirable to ascertain the rates at different age-periods of the population. The abnormally high rate in 1907, due to prevalence of epidemic diseases, is strikingly illustrated by comparison with the average for the previous five years.

Death-rates per 1,000 living at Various Age-periods.

Besides advantages of climate, New Zealand possesses a population younger in age-constitution than that of most other countries —conditions favourable to a low rate of mortality. Another table is given comparing death-rates at twelve age-periods for 1908 with those of England and Wales. Here the extremely low rate of mortality among children under five years of age is remarkable, and the difference at some of the groups at the more advanced ages is considerable. The New Zealand rate for males is higher than that for females at all groups excepting 10-15, 25-35, and 85 and upwards, while for England and Wales the female rate equals that for males at 5-10 and 10-15 years, and is lower in every other instance. ;

Death-rate per 1,000 Persons living, according to Sex, for the Year 1908, compared with England and Wales.

Deaths per 1,000 of the Total Population. Deaths of Male! to every 100 Females. Year. Males. Females. Total. 1900 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 10-33 10-80 11-64 11-43 10-64 10-18 10-40 11-81 10-62 10-18 8-43 8-71 9-23 9-24 8-37 8-24 8-08 9-98 8-38 8-14 9-43 9-81 10-50 10-40 9-57 9-27 9-31 10-95 9-57 9-22 123 124 126 124 127 124 129 118 127 125

Ages. Average, 1902-6. 1907. 1908. I i Decrease per 1909 Cent, in 1909, compared with 1902-6. j Under 5 years 5 years and under 10 years.. 10 „ 15 „ .. 15 „ 20 „ .. 20 „ 25 „ .. 25 „ 35 „ .. 35 „ 45 „ .. 45 „ 55 „ .. 55 „ 65 65 „ 75 „ .. 75 and upwards All ages .. .. 21-75 2-07 1-64 2-64 3-69 4-55 6-30 10-35 20-26 47-06 124-65 9-81 27-1 2-11 1-8' 2-8! 3-8( 4-7: 6-2; io-4: 20-1' 47-91 145-41 10-94 27-14 2-15 1-84 2-85 3-80 4-73 6-22 10-41 20-17 47-93 145-45 10-95 L4 L5 U 55 SO '■A !2 :1 .7 13 :5 15 I 20-38 1-76 1-64 2-03 3-42 4-37 6-24 10-47 18-06 44-75 132-36 9-57 18-77 13-70 1-96 5-31 1-35 17-68 2-23 15-53 3-08 16-53 4-43 I 2-64 6-71 + 6-51 9-73 5-99 17-97 11-30 42-62 9-43 125-91 + 1-01 9-22 6-01

Deaths per 1,( Deaths per 1,000 Persons living. 000 P( 'fil raons living. Ages. New Zealand. Males. Females. England and Wales. Males. Females. Under 5 years 5 years and tinder 10 years 10 " „ 15 " „ 15 „ 20 „ 20 „ 25 „ 25 ., 35 „ 35 „ 45 „ 45 „ 55 „ 55 „ 65 „ 65 „ 75 „ 75 „ 85 „ 85 and upwards All ages j " ~~ [ 22-6 18-1 1-9 1-6 .. ! 1-6 1-7 .. 2-2 1-8 3-5 3-3 .. I 4-2 4-5 .. I 6-9 5-5 .. j 11-7 8-9 . . ! 18-5 17-5 .. ! 48-1 39-5 .. I 123-4 108-3 .. i 240-9 246-2 .. J 10-6 j 8-4 j I ■I 44-5 36-6 3-2 3-2 1-9 1-9 2-7 2-5 3-7 3-1 5-4 4-5 9-1 7-4 16-4 12-8 33-0 25-0 70-3 57-7 137-8 I 124-3 303-7 286-4 15-7 13-7