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The following table shows the sex-structure of the Dominion's population from 1851 to 1946: Table No. 7.- —Table showing Number of Females per 1,000 Males in New Zealand from 1851 to 1946 (excluding Maoris) 1851 .. .. ..776 1921 .. .. 956 1861 .. .. ..620 1926 .. .. 959 1871 .. .. ..704 1936 .. .. 972 1881 .. .. .. 817 1945 .. .. 1,049 (at census date). 1891 .. .. ..882 1945.. .. 1,023 (31st December). 1901 .. .. ..903 1946.. .. 1,002 (31st March). 1911 .. .. .. 896 The steadily growing proportion of females to males indicates the maturing of the population. At the present time females are almost equal to males. New Zealand's population is thus approaching the sex-structure of the older European countries^). The second factor which influences the birth-rate is the age-structure of the population. The following table shows the age-structure of the population from 1881 to date :

Table No. 8.—Table showing Percentage of Total Population (excluding Maoris), in Age-groups, from 1881 to 1945

In 1881, when the first major flow of immigration had ceased, 42-5 per cent, of the population were under 15 years of age, 56-1 per cent, from 15 to 64, and only I*4 per cent, over 64 years of age. In 1945 only 24-8 per cent, of the population were under 15, 66-8 per cent, were in the working-ages of 15 to 64, while 8-4 per cent, (a 500-per-cent. increase) were 65 and over. This is a further indication of a maturing population. The above table, when related to the tables showing the birth-rates, suggests that future development of the population will not be so rapid as the past development, since the number of juveniles available for procreative purposes in the future will tend to be smaller, relatively, than in the past. In general, the population is growing steadily older. A more accurate view, however, of the relation between the population and the birth-rate can be seen from an examination of the female population of reproductive ages. The following table shows the relative structure of the female population, differentiating between ante-reproductive, reproductive, and post-reproductive ages.

(*) The above figures for 1945 and 1946 do not take into account the troops absent with the Forces. If these were taken into account there would be 995 females per 1,000 males in 1945.

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Year. Under 15. 15 to 64. 65 and over. 1881 42-5 56-1 / 1-4 1886 41-4 56-8 1*8 1891 40-0 57-7 2-3 1896 36-3 60-7 3-0 1901 33-4 62-5 41 1906 31-5 63-9 4-6 1911 .. 31-3 64-0 4-7 1921 31-4 63-7 4-9 1926 29-9 65-0 5-1 1936 25-5 67-9 6-6 1945 .. 24-8 66-8 8-4