27

H.—3l

APPENDICES. APPENDIX I.—PUBLIC HEALTH. General Statistics for the Year 19 11. PART I.—VITAL STATISTICS. I A. GENERAL. For the following statistics relating to births, death-rates, infant mortality, and causes of death the Department is indebted to the returns of the Registrar-General. They relate to the year 1911. BIBTHS. The number of births registered during 1911 was 26,354, or 25-97 in every 1,000 persons living. The number is 370 more than that for the year 1910, an increase of 1-42 per cent., the rate, however, being lower by 0-20 per thousand. From 1882 until the year 1899 there was a regular fall in the rate. The births registered in the year numbered 19,846 in 1884, and, after falling to 17,876 in 1892, have risen to the number first stated above. The number of male children born during 1911|was 13,532, and of female children 12,822. 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 3-38 per cent, on the rate per 1,000 in that

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. Calculating in this way the figures for the twenty-year period 1892-1911 show a decline from 4-54 to 3-07 as follows : — Proportion of Births Marria»es Legitimate to every Year. iviarna D es. Births. Marriage solemnized in the Preceding Year. 1891 3,805 1892 ... ... ... ... 4,002 17,283 4-54 1893 4,115 17,514 4-37 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 ... ... ... ... 5,091 18,154 3-68 1899 ... ... ... .. 5,461 18,066 3-54 1900 ... ... ... ... 5,860 18,640 3-41 1901 ... ... ... ... 6,095 19,554 334 1902 6,394 19,734 3-23 1903 ... ... ... ... 6,748 20,835 3-26

Birt] i-rate. Birth-rate. Year. Total Number of Births registered. Compared with Rate in 1882-86 taken as 100. Year. Total Number of Births registered. Compared with Rate in .1882-86 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 1897 1898 19,410 19,135 18,902 18,457 18,278 18,273 17,876 18,187 18,528 18,546 18,612 18,737 18,955 35-40 32-09 31-22 30-07 29-44 29-01 27-83 27-50 27-28 26-78 26-33 25-96 25-74 100 91 88 85 83 82 79 78 77 76 74 73 73 1899 1900 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 18,835 19,546 20,491 20,655 21,829 22,766 23,682 24,252 25,094 25,940 26,524 25,984 26,354 25-12 25-60 26-34 25-89 26-61 26-94 27-22 27-08 27-30 27-45 27-29 26-17 25-97 71 72 74 73 75 76 77 76 77 77 77 74 73