I—l 7
The interest in the above table centres not so much in the absolute increase of population as in the falling rate of increase in the population. This trend is similar to trends in all Western European countries, and a general indication of the extent of this trend is the reduction in increase in the European populations as shown in the following table :
Table No. 4. —Table showing Percentage Increase in Quinquennial Periods from 1901-06 to 1931-36 of Population in New Zealand and certain Overseas Countries
(New Zealand, 1936-41, 0-56 ; 1941-45, Ml.) It is interesting to note that while the countries with predominantly western European population, including north-west European, the Scandanavian countries, England, Canada, U.S.A., and Australia, have all fallen very considerably, there has been a medium growth of population in Southern and Eastern European countries, the U.S.S.R., the Balkan countries, and South America. In the Asiatic countries there has been a very great increase in the rate of growth. These factors are very important in discussing the future of New Zealand's population. B. NATURAL INCREASE (1) The Birth-rate Two factors must be taken into account in explaining the change in the population of a country over any given period. They are, first, the natural increase in the population—that is, the excess of births over deaths (this may be a minus figure where deaths exceed births), and, secondly, the net external migration figures—that is, the excess of arrivals over departures (this may again be a minus figure where departures exceed arrivals).
3
Average Annual Percentage Increase in Quinquennial Periods approximating to — Country. 19311906. 1911. 1916. 1921. 1926. 1931. 1936. New Zealand 2-79 2-60 1-57 2-31 2-05 1-40 0-70 England and Wales 1-04 1-04 -0-77* 1-82 0-61 0-47 0-41 Scotland 0-63 0-63 0-13 0-36 —0-08* —0-09* 0-55 Australia .. .. 1-39 1-96 2-18 1-84 2-10 1-56 0-76 Canada Y 2-93 2-16 1-84 1-55 1-80 1-41 Union of South Africa (Europeans) 1-91 1-88 1-64 2-00 1-73 1-75 Norway 0-64 0-68 0-95 111 0-77 0-43 0-48 Sweden 0-61 0-85 0-68 0-60 0-50 0-29 0-34 Denmark 1-11 1-27 1-16 2-27 1-05 0-67 0-80 Netherlands 1-55 1-25 1-62 1-26 1-56 1-36 1-32 France 0-15 0-18 -0-68* 0-56 0-77 0-53 0-06 Switzerland 1-29 1-21 0-74 —0-01* 0-17 0-73 0-46 Italy 0-48 0-84 1-06 0-70 0-83 0-86 1-35 United States of America 2-04 1-85 1-49 1-39 1-52 1-41 0-73 * Decrease.