H.—3l

7

Births.

The births of 28,567 living children were registered in the Dominion during 1921, as against 29,921 in 1920 and a yearly average of 27,223 during the pre-war period 1910-14. The birthrate for 1921 was thus 23-34 per 1,000 of mean population. The general course of tho birth-rate, during the last ten years is shown in the following table : — Births (Number and Rale) in New Zealand, 1912-21. Y . Total Number of Birth-rate per 1,000 of " r ' Births registered. Mean Population. 1912 .. .. .. .. .. 27,508 26-48 1913 .. .. .. .. ..27.935 26-14 1914 .. .. .. .. ..28,338 25-99 1915 .. .. .. .. .. 27,850 25-33 1916 .. .. .. .. .. 28,509 25-94 1917 .. .. .. .. ..28,239 25-69 1918 .. .. .. .. .. 25,860 23-44 1919 .. .. .. .. .. 24,483 21-54 1920 .. .. .. .. .. 29,921 25-36 1921 .. .. .. .. .. 28,567 23-34 It will be seen that the number of births registered in 1921 is higher than in any preceding year with the exception of 1920, but the rate is exceedingly low, being, indeed, the second-lowest recorded in the Dominion. Still-births. —Still-births, which are defined by the Births and Deaths Registration Amendment, Act of 1915 as " children which have issued from their mother after the expiration of the twentyeighth week of pregnancy and which were not alive at the time of such issue," are compulsorily registrable in the Dominion. The next table shows the number of such births, and their rate per 1,000 live births, in individual years for the quinquennium 1917-21. Slill-birlhs (Number and Rate) in New Zealand, 1917-21. „ Total Number of Rate of Still-births r ' Still-births registered, per 1,009 Live Births. 1917 .. .. .. .. ..694 24-6 1918 .. .. .. .. ..701 27-1 1919 .. .. .. .. .. 680 27-8 1920 .. .. .. .. .. 840 28-1 1921 .. .. .. .. .. 903 31-6 The increasing ratio of still to live births as disclosed by this table is somewhat, disquieting. It may only be that the phenomenon is due to increasing accuracy in registration. That there are oilier and deeper causes, however, would appear probable from the fact that the death-rate of infants in the first month after birth shows a somewhat similar behaviour. (Note : Still-births are not included either as births or deaths in the various numbers and rates given elsewhere in this report.) Deaths. The number of deaths recorded during 1921 was 10,682, as compared with 12,109 in 1920 and a yearly average of 9,370 in the period 1910-14. The Government Statistician gives the crude death-rate for 1921 as 8-73 per 1,000 of mean population, anil the standardized death-rate (International Index of Mortality) as 10-93. The following table gives the number of deaths and the death-rate in the Dominion for the decennium 1912-21 :— Deaths (Number and Rale) in New Zealand, 1912-21. m,, , T , ~ , ~ , ~ Standardized « r I otal Number ( ruilo (Actual) ~ , ~ , Year. c., ~ .. A ' Death-rate (Inilcx ot Deaths. Death-rate. ~ .. . ,>, , of Mortality). 1912 .. .. .. .. 9.214 8-87 11-27" 1913 .. .. .. .. 10,11'.) 9-17 11-92 1914 .. .. .. ..10,148 9-31 JL-85 1915 .. .. .. .. 9,965 9-06 11-38 1916 .. .. .. ..10.596 9-64 11-88 1917 .. .. .. ..10,528 9-58 11-66 1918 .. .. .. ..16,364 14-84 16-80 1919 .. .. .. .. • 10,808 9-51 11-75 1920 .. .. .. .. 12,109 10-27 12-80 1921 .. .. .. .. 10,682 8-73 10-93 The crude death-rate for the year (8-73 per 1,000 of mean population) is remarkably low, and constitutes a new record, the previous best figure being the rate of 8-87 in 1912. Infant, Mortality.— The infant-mortality rate for .1921 was 47-8 per 1,000 births. This rate is the second-best on record, and is only excelled by the figure lor 1919 (45-3 per 1,000 births). The next table enables an estimate, to be formed of the progress in infant-welfare work in New Zealand, and shows the relative obstinacy of the first-month mortality to react to the administrative measures which have proved so successful at, later ages.